Irrigation

Irrigation was commissioned by the federal government’s Federal Art Project, one of many programs of the Works Progress Administration. In the painting, Peter depicts a lush green field, the product of one of the nineteen thirties’ fastest developing technologies: the irrigation system. During the dry years of the Great Depression, much of the farmland was rendered useless by drought, placing greater demands upon land still capable of cultivation. Extensive irrigation systems were vital to keeping crops alive and maximizing harvest.

George Peter was born in Munich, Vienna where he studied painting before immigrating to the United States in 1886 and seeking employment in the panorama painting business.  During their brief period of popularity, Milwaukee was the production center for the nation's panorama painting industry.  After his association with the American Panorama Company, Peter worked as a scenery painter for the Pabst Theater, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.   In 1912, George Peter began working for the Milwaukee Public Museum. He became the Art Director in 1923 and was well known throughout the museum profession for his creation of murals and dioramas for the museum’s exhibits.