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Grandma Moses

Grandma Moses

1 7.7
A self-taught American painter of simple, colorful scenes of country life
  • proper noun
  • /ˈɡrændmə ˈmoʊzɪz/
translation icon : Grandma Moses
  • Many young artists are inspired by the works of Grandma Moses, who started painting at an elderly age.
  • Grandma Moses paintings

Examples

  • Grandma Moses was a talented folk artist.

  • A painting by Grandma Moses recently sold at auction for a significant sum.

  • As a self-taught artist, Grandma Moses began her career in her seventies.

  • Many art collectors admire Grandma Moses for her vibrant portrayals of country life.

  • Grandma Moses is amazing!

  • One of the most famous works by Grandma Moses depicts a winter scene in a rural town.

  • Art collectors appreciate the vibrant colors and unique style of Grandma Moses' paintings.

Synonyms

Moses
vsGrandma Moses
16 4.6

An American painter known for simple, colorful scenes of country life

is the more familiar nickname form rather than the single surname
Anna Mary Robertson Moses
vsGrandma Moses
9.6

An American painter known for simple bright pictures of country life called Grandma Moses

is the widely used nickname form rather than the full name
Thomas Hart Benton
vsGrandma Moses
7.4

An American painter who shows everyday life in the Midwest and South

is instead a self taught folk artist with naive colorful rural scenes

Surface Forms

Morphology

Grandma + Moses

This is a proper name/nickname referring to a specific person (Anna Mary Robertson "Grandma" Moses); the profession and identity (an American folk artist) are not compositional from 'grandma' (grandmother) + 'Moses' (a personal name). A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not be able to infer that this refers to a particular artist without prior exposure, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Grandma Moses was the name of Anna Mary Robertson Moses, a farmwoman who only began painting simple, colorful scenes of country life in her seventies. People called her Grandma because she was an older, kindly figure and Moses was her last name, and her bright, 'self-taught' pictures became so famous that the name Grandma Moses now makes people think of cheerful 'folk art' country scenes.