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The Devil and Tom Walker
by John Quidor
About the Artwork
Based on a story by Washington Irving published in 1824, The Devil and Tom Walker presents a miserly man who encounters the devil while traveling through a heavily wooded swamp. Walker, seen on the left in the painting, strikes a deal with the devil, who holds an ax at far right, soon gaining riches but losing his soul in the process. Ultimately, the devil destroys Walker.
Inscriptions
Signed lower center: "J. Quidor / N.Y. 1856"
Exhibition history
Year in Review: 1967. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29-December 31, 1967).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- John Quidor (American, 1801–1881)
- Date
- 1856
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 84 x 104 x 8.5 cm (33 1/16 x 40 15/16 x 3 3/8 in.); Unframed: 68.8 x 86.6 cm (27 1/16 x 34 1/8 in.)
- Type
- Painting
- Classification
- Painting
- Department
- American Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
- Accession no.
- 1967.18
Provenance
Thomas B. Carroll (New York sale 1895); Henry T. Chapman, (1895 New York sale 1913); Douthitt Gallery; Albert Duveen, New York, 1943; Joseph Katz, Baltimore; M. Knoedler & Co., New York, 1954; L.A. Fleishman, Detroit; Kennedy Galleries, New York
More by John Quidor in museum collections
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00009442
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