the collector's folio

Arthur Rothstein Most Popular Paintings

The 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 24 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Arthur Rothstein · 1915 – 1985

Pettway family group. Gee

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Arthur Rothstein’s ‘Pettway Family Group. Gee’ captures rural life in 1937. A poignant black & white photo of a family, showcasing resilience & community. Explore this FSA documentary masterpiece.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$35037 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Skull, Badlands, South Dakota

original 27 x 35 cm

Witness Arthur Rothstein’s iconic ‘Skull, Badlands.’ A haunting black & white photograph capturing the Dust Bowl era's stark beauty. Limited edition prints available.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17531 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Inhabitants of Gees Bend, Alabama

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Arthur Rothstein’s ‘Inhabitants of Gee’s Bend, Alabama’ captures rural Black life in 1937. A poignant documentary photo showcasing dignity & hardship through striking composition & light. Explore this FSA masterpiece.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22527 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Logs Coming up Conveyor into Mill, Longview, Washington

1936 · original 19 x 24 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Mrs. Dodson and One of her Nine Children, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

1935 · original 23 x 17 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20027 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Mountain People, Garrett County, Maryland

1936 · original 19 x 19 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17532 × 31 cm Commission this artwork

Farmer Who will be Resettled, Wolf Creek Farms, Georgia

1935 · original 20 x 25 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Plowing at Gee

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Discover "Plowing at Gee" by Arthur Rothstein – a powerful 1937 black & white photo capturing rural American life during the Great Depression. A timeless piece of social history.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17539 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Mrs. Bailey Nicholson, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

1935 · original 24 x 18 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17526 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

South Dakota Drought Refugee, Montana

1936 · original 19 x 24 cm

1936 Rothstein photo ‘South Dakota Drought Refugee’ captures Dust Bowl hardship & adventure. Dramatic black & white, evocative of early photography. A poignant historical piece.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Beer Tavern, Peoria, Illinois

1938 · original 16 x 25 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17539 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Clarence Tilton and Pearl Rood, Oswego County, New York, Bachelor Farmers, New York

1937 · original 19 x 24 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Sewing a quilt. Gees Bend, Alabama [Lucy Mooney]

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22537 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Wife and child of a sharecropper, Washington County, Arkansas

1935 · original 24 x 17 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20026 × 39 cm Commission this artwork

Bachelor Farm Home, New York

1937 · original 24 x 19 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17528 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Drawing water from well. Gees Bend, Alabama [Martha Jane Pettway]

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20037 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Girl at Gee

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17537 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Blacksmith, Lowell, Vermont

1937 · original 20 x 25 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

The Bittenger family and his cabin in which they live. Garrett County, Maryland

1937 · original 18 x 24 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$47537 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Descendants of slaves of the Pettway plantation.

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22537 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Skull, Badlands, South Dakota

1936 · original 19 x 19 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17532 × 31 cm Commission this artwork

Copper Pit, Ruth, Nevada

1940 · original 24 x 18 cm

Experience Arthur Rothstein’s ‘Copper Pit, Ruth, Nevada’ (1940). A captivating documentary photograph showcasing the American Southwest's industrial landscape. Hand-painted reproduction available.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17527 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Mountain Farm, Rappahannock County, Virginia

1940 · original 18 x 24 cm

Arthur Rothstein’s "Mountain Farm" (1940) is a stunning monochrome drawing of a snowy Virginia landscape. Explore its detailed realism & evocative winter scene – a unique piece for art collectors.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Carrying water, Gees Bend, Alabama [Annie Bendolph]

1937 · Souls Grown Deep, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 24 artworks by Arthur Rothstein
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17537 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Arthur Rothstein

1915 – 1985

Quick facts

Lifespan70 years
Movementsdocumentary photography
Art periodModern
Creative periodsearly modern
Works on APS24
Museums on APSSouls Grown Deep
Topics exploredrural america, great depression

Biography

Arthur Rothstein: Documenting America's Struggles

Arthur Rothstein (1915-1985) was a prominent American photojournalist whose career spanned five decades. He is celebrated for his powerful and poignant documentation of rural life, particularly during the Great Depression and its aftermath. His work offers invaluable insights into a pivotal period in American history, capturing both hardship and resilience.

Early Life and Education

Born in Manhattan, New York City, and raised in the Bronx, Rothstein came from a family of Jewish immigrants. He developed an early interest in photography, which he pursued at Columbia University. While there, he founded the university camera club and served as the photography editor of the Columbian yearbook.

Early Career & The Farm Security Administration

Rothstein’s career took a defining turn after graduating from Columbia during the Great Depression. He was invited to Washington D.C. by his former professor, Roy Stryker, who was establishing a photo unit within the Resettlement Administration (RA). Rothstein became the first photographer sent out by Stryker, embarking on a five-year journey documenting the lives of rural Americans.

Documenting Rural America

Rothstein’s photographs captured the stark realities faced by farmers and sharecroppers during this era. He traveled extensively throughout the country, including assignments to document evictions in Virginia (for Shenandoah National Park) and conditions in the Dust Bowl and Montana cattle ranches. His work aimed to publicize the plight of the rural poor and garner support for New Deal programs.

The Gee's Bend Project

One particularly significant assignment took Rothstein to Gee’s Bend, Alabama, a remote community of African American farmers. His photographs of the residents showcased their unique cultural heritage and resilience. These images offered a nuanced portrayal of life in Gee’s Bend, emphasizing dignity and self-sufficiency rather than solely focusing on hardship.

Transition to the Office of War Information

As the nation geared up for World War II, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) transitioned into the Office of War Information (OWI). Rothstein continued his work as a photographer, documenting wartime industries and homefront life. His role evolved to include more staged and propagandistic imagery reflecting the war effort.

Later Career & Legacy

After leaving the OWI, Rothstein pursued various photographic projects, including commercial assignments and educational work. He taught photography at several institutions and continued to document American life. While his later work didn’t achieve the same level of recognition as his FSA photographs, it demonstrated his versatility and commitment to visual storytelling.

Influences & Artistic Development

Roy Stryker was a major influence on Rothstein's early career, shaping his approach to documentary photography and emphasizing its potential for social impact. The artistic style of the FSA photographers generally leaned towards social realism, aiming to depict subjects truthfully and without embellishment.

Major Achievements & Historical Significance

Created a comprehensive visual record of rural America during the Great Depression.
Documented the lives of African Americans in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, preserving their cultural heritage.
Contributed to public awareness of social and economic issues facing the nation.
His work remains an important historical resource for understanding a critical period in American history.

Arthur Rothstein's photographs are not merely historical documents; they are powerful works of art that continue to resonate with audiences today, reminding us of the challenges and triumphs of the human spirit.

Questions & Answers

Where are Arthur Rothstein's artworks organized by color?

Arthur Rothstein's works can be explored by color on the artist's Spectral Index page.

Where can I see all artworks by Arthur Rothstein?

Every work by Arthur Rothstein on this website can be browsed from the artist's All Artworks page.

Can I browse Arthur Rothstein's works by movement?

Arthur Rothstein's works can be browsed by movement on the artist's All Movements page.

By the ArtsDot.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 4, 2026

Collector's quiz

Arthur Rothstein is best known for his photographic work documenting which period in American history?
Rothstein was initially hired by the Resettlement Administration (RA) through a connection with which key figure?
A significant series of Rothstein's photographs focused on the residents of Gee's Bend, Alabama. What was unique about this community?
The Resettlement Administration later became known as the…
What was a primary goal of the FSA's photographic unit, which Rothstein was part of?

one You choose the size

Standard formats or any custom dimension, matched to the proportions of the original.

two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

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Every artwork by Arthur Rothstein in our catalog can be painted to order, in the size that suits the room.

All artworks by Arthur Rothstein