All Down the Squalid Street the Little Procession Passed

Frank E. Schoonover (1877-1972)

1906

Oil on canvas

Gift of Edward R. Burka

This painting by Frank E. Schoonover, depicts a scene from James W. Steele’s story “The American Way.” In the story, a couple is being expelled from an old western town at gunpoint. Although this work is from fairly early in the artist’s career, it is notable for its interesting composition and play of light and shadows. The Biggs has built and continues to build the largest and most diverse collection of works of art by Schoonover and donations like this one help the Biggs to preserve and grow the artist’s legacy.

For Further Thinking: When illustrating stories, Schoonover had to think carefully about which moments to depict. Think about your favorite story. What moments would you depict in your illustrations of that story?