Blog Post #7: Early Modern Blog
The Influence of The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a period defined by struggle and hopelessness for most in the United States and around the world. Hunger struck as jobs were lost and income dwindled. The light at the end of the tunnel took nearly a decade to appear for many families, if at all. Despair flowed through the veins of individuals and communities, to a level we have a difficult time comprehending today. Art during the Depression often reflected these emotions, even as the government worked to provide jobs in the arts to millions with the Works Progress Administration. Miner Joe by Elizabeth Olds is a prime example of this sentiment, with 'Joe' appearing to leave a hard day's work with little to no emotion on his face.
Miner Joe, Elizabeth Olds, 1937, lithograph on paper
Another piece from the Great Depression is Charles Wheeler Locke's The Hole in the Wall. This piece escapes the monotony the Depression for a brief moment.
The Hole in the Wall, Charles Wheeler Locke, date unknown, lithograph on paper
Finally, Thomas Hart Benton's The Music Lesson provides a third perspective of the Great depression: the family. Despite everything going on in the world, a father finds time to spend with his daughter and appreciate the moments that really matter.
The Music Lesson, Thomas Hart Benton, 1944, lithograph on paper
As we can see, lithography was common during the Depression because it was a cost-effective way to produce and reprint work. All three pieces share this medium, and along with that, a very soft image with smooth corners and no jagged edges. Beyond this, however, each piece has their unique features. Miner Joe maintains the individual strokes to make the piece appear as if it's moving in slow motion, accentuating the painful road many walked along during the Depression. The Hole in the Wall keeps more details in its style, making you feel like you're in the upbeat pub. Finally, The Music Lesson has a great amount of effort put into its shading, making features like the looseness of the father's pants and shirt prominant.
Ultimately, the Great Depression was a very unfortunate time for most. What came as a result, though, was a new movement and appreciation for art as the government worked to get more involved with various programs, like ones that allowed the three pieces in this discussion to be created. All three are beautiful works in their own way and serve as a relic of the past. "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (George Santayana).
Works Cited
“Art and the Great Depression.” Great Depression, https://www.nga.gov/learn/teachers/lessons-activities/uncovering-america/great-depression.html.
“Art from the Great Depression at the Racine Art Museum.” Wisconsin Public Radio, 31 Mar. 2017, https://www.wpr.org/art-great-depression-racine-art-museum.
“Culture and Arts during the Depression.” Culture and Arts in 1930s Washington State, https://depts.washington.edu/depress/culture_arts.shtml.
“‘It Was the Best of Times’: American Prints of the Great Depression.” Smith College Museum of Art, https://scma.smith.edu/blog/it-was-best-times-american-prints-great-depression.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteThe lithographs that you shared in your blog are quite interesting. I love that the artists could create such good pieces of art with nothing more than a pencil, used to create different shades of grays and blacks. I like the first lithograph you talked about, Minor Joe, by Elizabeth Olds, because it shows that the Great Depression was hard. I like this painting because it is educational. It shows that the miner is sad, so we can get the idea that the Great Depression was hard and saddening for nearly everyone. I like how Elizabeth Old used darker colors on the miner’s face. This makes it look more realistic since he is covered in soot, while it also helps to make the miner look even sadder since he is all dirty.
I like the lithograph, The Hole in the Wall, by Charles Wheeler Locke that you shared in your blog. I like this lithograph because it is a realistic depiction of some people who are having a good time talking with one another. I like this because it is used to show that people can have a fun time hanging out with one another, even though they are in the middle of a depression. I like how Locke used a number of curved lines in his lithograph to depict comfort and ease. He creates the windows, the hats, and the clothing as well as the cut-out of the counter by using curved lines, which help us to know that the people are comfortable and at ease, as they are talking with one another.
I also enjoyed the last lithograph that you shared in your blog, The Music Lesson, by Thomas Hart Benton. Similarly to the lithograph, The Hole in the Wall, I like The Music Lesson because it is a realistic-looking piece of art. I like it because as you explained, it is a depiction of a father who is spending valuable time with his daughter, even though the people of that time would have been doing everything they could to get more money during the Great Depression. I like that Benton did so much to make the lithograph look realistic. I like how he used color in the lithograph to depict shadows, which helps us to know that the light is coming from the left of them, where it is also coming from slightly in front of them. I also like how Benton was able to do such a good job of depicting texture. He did an awesome job at depicting the different strands of hair on the girl's head.
You had a good setup for your blog. I like that the first lithograph that you shared in your blog, was used to depict the sadness and the hardships of the Great Depression, while the other two lithographs that you shared in your blog were used to show that people were still able to have fun, relaxing times, despite the hardships of the Great Depression. This can be a good lesson for us, where we can realize that we need to find the time to relax if we are going through a rough time.
Nice blog! I personally am not a fan of the black and white trend so I would not own a copy of this. However, these images are a great representation of The Great Depression because it portrays both sides of it. In the first image you can see in his face that he is not happy which expresses the tough times that people had to face. In the next picture, it portrays an escape of the negativity and it shows people together enjoying each others company in the face of adversity. I like how you showed both sides of this!
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