Thomas Hart BENTON (born April 15, 1889, Neosho, Missouri–died January 19, 1975, Kansas City, Missouri)
Although he'd been to soirées in "Paree" and New York's Stork Club, American artist and muralist Thomas Hart Benton played a harmonica and reveled in his self-honed image as a hard-drinking hillbilly. Detractors, both past and present, dismissed Benton's art as "Okie baroque," while supporters praised his efforts to paint realistic images based on American subject matter. During Benton's long life, he constantly moved people to tears — tears of rage as well as love.