Realism in the United States took a hard look at the nation's political and social conditions.
c. 1930 - 1945
videos + essays
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Vertis Hayes, Juke Joint
This swaying juke joint belies its purpose as the central meeting place enlivened by music and dance in many African American communities, but its jubilance is tempered by the painting's ominous atmosphere
Vertis Hayes, The Lynchers
A horrifying painting of racial violence that can help us see where we are and where we need to be in terms of tolerance and empathy
Josiah McElheny on Horace Pippin
Contemporary artist discusses Horace Pippin as a so-called "outsider" artist and the importance of his perspective into every-day American life
Ben Shahn, Miners’ Wives
An explosion in a mine kills 111, Shahn captures the devastation of those left behind.
Reginald Marsh, Wooden Horses
According to the artist (Reginald Marsh), at Coney Island, “The best show is the people themselves.”
Romare Bearden, Factory Workers
During World War II, racism flourished the United States even as the war effort sought to bring people together.
Todros Geller, Strange Worlds
Geller captures the tensions of the Jewish immigrant experience in the early 20th-century United States.
Grant Wood, Parson Weems’ Fable
Wood infuses a famous folktale about George Washington with theatricality, humor, and a Gilbert Stuart sample.
Norman Rockwell, Rosie the Riveter
Representing women who entered the workforce during WWII, Rosie is strong, determined, and eating a ham sandwich.
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