Signed and dated lower right: “Irwin D. Hoffman / 1936”. In fine condition.

Ex-collection Harvard Earth and Planetary Sciences.

“This was up at Noranda Mine in Canada. It was a great copper mine. I went down every morning for two months and sketched in preparation for the murals I did for the San Francisco World’s Fair in 1938 which eventually were given to the Colorado School of Mining at Golden, Colorado.” (commentary by Irwin D. Hoffman in “Irwin D. Hoffman: An Artist’s Life,” Boston Public Library 1982)

Hoffman was one of three brothers; the two others were mining engineers and encouraged and supported their artist brother. Not surprisingly, Irwin became as interested in mining as a subject for his art as his brothers were in their mining engineering business. This painting was developed as preparation for a series of murals commissioned for the 1939-40 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco.