Two (2) Southern rural American scenes. 1st item: William Gruber oil on canvas painting titled "On the Old Mississippi" depicting two figures watching from the bank as a large white riverboat named the "Golden Eagle" passes by. They stand beneath the foliage of a weeping willow tree and under a cloudy blue sky. Signed "By Wm Gruber" lower right. Housed in a contemporary wood frame with foliate decoration. Sight: 19 3/4" H x 15 1/2" W. Framed: 24 1/4" H x 20 1/2" W. Note: Built in 1904, the Golden Eagle was a well-known riverboat that made national news when it sank on May 18, 1947. The vessel operated in packet trades on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers before becoming a tourist steamer. Source: Norrington, Keith; The Str. Golden Eagle Was a St. Louis Favorite; from The Waterways Journal Weekly, May 24, 2021. 2nd item: C. Fernsell hand-colored block print titled "Haying" depicting several African Americans with a horse team working in a field, with the sun rising or setting in the background. Signed and dated "C. Fernsell, 1952". Titled lower center. Housed in an ebonized wood frame with foliate decoration under glass. Sight: 7 3/4" H x 11" W. Both items 20th century.

PROVENANCE: The Estate of James Lewis, Carthage, Tennessee.

CONDITION: 1st item: Light grime and slight waviness to canvas. 2nd item: Overall very good condition.