The Influence of the Great Depression
In the Crowd (1931)
Painted By: Mabel Dwight
Location: New York
This work is a lithograph. In the art work In the Crowd are six Depression era passersby. You can see the despair in there expressions. As the depression started Mabel Dwight felt compelled to represent the social and emotional realities of the depression. It is described in an a art gallery the "Each is a portrait and personality."
Elements: The curved lines and dark shadowing give a strong standing to the downtrodden expressions on the individuals in this portrait. The lack of color does not take away. If anything it enhances the sense of gloom and sadness.
Placement: You have multiple people in this portrait but the lady in the front stands out the most due to brightness and depth created. Each individual is placed in a further back location giving multiple levels of depth and showing the distance of the individual people. Yet, at the same time they all seem as one because they all have the same worried expressions.
Emotion: You can sense the stress and worry by the harsh expressions. You sense there pain by there wrinkled foreheads and sad down turned eyes. The harshness of their frowns give away just how strongly the depression is affecting these individuals.
Apple Vendor (1933-34)
Location: Missouri
This painting was painted for the Public Works Art Project. This was a New Deal created by the Federal Government to give financial and morale support to Americans. Artists were encouraged to paint the American scene. They were expected to show the individuals fighting through the depression. This painting shows a man on a street corner trying to sell his apples for income.
Elements: The lines in this painting are very defined. The color contrast and shading gives a large amount of depth and adds to the emotion of the painting. You see black and white painting mixed with a colored painting and this makes the painting stand out more.
Placement: You can see the gentlemen is placed in the front and looks much larger than anything else in the painting making him the center of the attention. In the background you can see the shaping of the factory and a young mother and child down the street.
Emotions: This painting has very heavy strong emotion. It definitely gives the sense of struggle by the gentlemen's hung head. His slouching and position give a sense of despair. At the same time his apples being for sale in front of him gives a small sense of hope. Hope that his apples will sell and he can make it a little longer.
Dispossessed (1932)
Location Unknown
This painting is of an elderly couple that has lost their home. It was created to depict the homeless caused by the depression. This couple are out on the street with all their belongings and nothing more they can do. Jules was dedicated to using his art to show social purpose.
Elements: The biggest element I see is the different blending of like colors. You can see the lines are lax and not very defined.
Placements: The gentlemen and lady are at the forefront and this is obviously to make them the defining point of the painting. As the artist wanted his paintings to show social purpose he made the couple the main focus. Next, would be all there belongings behind and around them to make it clear that they are homeless.
Emotions: Despair seems to be the biggest emotion that is triggered by this painting. It almost can bring you to tears imagining them on the street with no where to go and no shelter to sleep in. Sadness and defeat stand out strong and there seems to be no sense of hope.
You can see between these three pieces of art the obvious influence of the depression in each one. Each gives a different view but makes the
depression obvious and the struggle it created.
Work Cited:
“Apple Vendor.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artwork/apple-vendor-23048. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
“Dispossessed.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artwork/dispossessed-12782. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.
“Mabel Dwight: In the Crowd.” | In the Crowd | Whitney Museum of American Art, 2023, whitney.org/collection/works/11660.
I also did a painting that was a lithograph. Before this I did not really know what one was but it is basically printing with oil and water using stone or metal. I like the words "sadness" and "defeat" that you used to describe this painting. Its not a fun subject but your choice of words were perfect. I think you did a good job of explaining how each painting matches your chosen theme. The first one was interesting to me, it was like a separate painting of each face but then someone put them all together into one big picture. They are all different but somehow tied together because they are all in the same sad situation.
ReplyDeleteThe pieces of art you chose are amazing. The first painting gives off sad vibes. The fact that this painting is black and white adds to the depressing feeling, and the facial expression shows how tired the people are. The contract in this art piece is so great and it adds to the depressing vibes. The second painting seems a bit sad because it does not look like the man sold much apples. Also the way he is slouched and looking down makes it look like he is tired and sad. I think the fruit stand out because of how vibrant they are. The third painting, is just sad. I chose to write about that painting too, and it is quite depressing. Just seeing elders being homeless makes me feel down. Both of them look tired and not joyous because of their facial expressions and body language.
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