Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
With its rustic style, Doris Lee's prize-winning "Thanksgiving" captures the joyful chaos of preparing the beloved holiday meal with family.
While depictions of family life appealed to struggling Americans during the Great Depression, Lee's painting met with controversy when it debuted at the Art Institute in 1935. A few vocal critics disliked its modern, exaggerated forms and even called the work "atrocious," but in the 90 years since, the work has become a visitor favorite, especially at this time of year.
Learn more about the artist and how the public reacted to her work with Annelise Madsen, Gilda and Henry Buchbinder Curator, Arts of the Americas.
Image: Doris Lee. "Thanksgiving," about 1935. Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize Fund
With its rustic style, Doris Lee's prize-winning "Thanksgiving" captures the joyful chaos of preparing the beloved holiday meal with family.
While depictions of family life appealed to struggling Americans during the Great Depression, Lee's painting met with controversy when it debuted at the Art Institute in 1935. A few vocal critics disliked its modern, exaggerated forms and even called the work "atrocious," but in the 90 years since, the work has become a visitor favorite, especially at this time of year.
Learn more about the artist and how the public reacted to her work with Annelise Madsen, Gilda and Henry Buchbinder Curator, Arts of the Americas.
Image: Doris Lee. "Thanksgiving," about 1935. Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize Fund
