A painting with atmosphere and breath in the regionalist style that arose in the 1930’s and 40’s. The style is known for its depiction of reassuring images of the American heartland during the Great Depression. It puts us in mind of the Depot District in Richmond, Indiana, with the street lamps burning above the bridge which spans the train tracks below.
A painter, muralist, and teacher from Indiana, Oakley Richey was born in Hancock County, Indiana and lived in Indianapolis for most of his career. From 1924 to 1935, he taught at the John Herron Art School, where he had also studied, and from 1935 into the 1950s, he taught at Arsenal Technical Schools in Indianapolis. Additional art training was in New York from the Art Students League and the Grand Central Art School.
Richey exhibited at the Hoosier Salon, the Richmond Art Association (Richmond Art Museum), and the Indiana State Fair.