Grandma Moses: I’d Rather Have the Money
on Friday, September 7, 2018Grandma Moses saying when Asked by Edward R. Murrow in 1955, when she was 95 years old if she had an emotional attachment to her paintings, she unequivocally preferred the cash. Grandma Moses said:
“Oh no! I’d rather have the money!” — Grandma Moses
Given this was when she was 95 years old and achieved fame and financial success later in life through her folk art, it appears her response was meant humorously to emphasize practicality over sentimentality. Even as a renowned artist, she seemed to have a down-to-earth personality and likely knew the value of money from her earlier life experiences.
Her comment suggests she took pride in her work but was also pragmatic about its monetary worth, without deeper emotional ties that would prevent her from parting with pieces for financial gain. It captures her witty spirit and realistic approach to her artistic career and the rewards it provided her as an elderly woman who found commercial and critical success later in her lifetime through her paintings.
Birthday: September 7, 1860 – Death: December 13, 1961 #NationalGrandmaMosesDay