Country Fair-Night II
1949
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph
Dimensions
Image: 292 x 387 mm Sheet: 325 x 455 mm
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams
Accession Number
2008.115.3636
Art Historical Context
**Country Fair-Night II**1949) by John Muench captures the vibrant energy of a rural American fairground after dark. This lithograph, measuring 292 x 387 mm on a 325 x 455 mm sheet, the festive chaos of carnival lights, rides, and crowds, evoking a sense of post-World War II nostalgia and leisure. Printed in the late 1940s, it reflects a time when country fairs symbolized community gatherings and escapism amid America's economic recovery and suburban expansion. As a lithograph—a planographic printmaking technique invented in the late 18th century—Muench's work highlights the medium's versatil...