Peonies

George Stengel spent his artistic career painting flowers, in carpet designs for the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpet Company and in paintings like this which he made for his own enjoyment. He started working at the carpet mill as a teenager and the company, recognizing his talent, sent him to Paris to study art. He was on the first board of the Yonkers Art Association and exhibited paintings, including this one, in their annual shows at the Hudson River Museum even after he retired in 1921 and moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut.