Early Modern art and the influence of the Great Depression

Art during the Early Modern era served a different purpose than all its predecessors. Rather than relishing on aesthetic wonders, art during this period served primarily as a distraction and a call for action. All areas of art, such as theatre, music, political cartoons,  and all 2D forms of art, served as a constant reminder of the state of the world, and were an attempt to bring joy and hope back into the atmosphere. Such daring statements were made by many artists, such as Marcel Duchamp. Surrealists danced around in the subconscious, and all the artists around the world served as a distraction for the uncertainty of tomorrow. Artistic works became drenched in political subject matter. “The rise of social unrest during the Depression heightened the political concerns of artistic works, while New Deal programs gave artists both federal recognition and the funding and space to work out new cultural forms” (Kindig, 2009).

The end of the war caused the end of many things, such as the Austria-Hungarian empire, the Ottoman empire of Turkey and the Russian empire, but many new things were in the midst of being built up. The entire world was changing, but not all in the best ways. The Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash of Oct 1929, impacted the United States in unfathomable ways. It may have started in the United States, but the strain was felt around the world following WWI. Adolf Hitler created Nationalist Socialist Party of the German Workers – the Nazi party – and in 1934, became the president of Germany. Spain’s king was overthrown, causing the development of a new coalition government and the Spanish Civil War began.

Life-changing innovations in science and technology shook the world. The “Great War”, World War I, brought upon the advancement of modern weaponry, such as machine guns, tanks, poisonous gas, etc.

The Great Depression, which began after the stock market crash of 1929, unraveled the United States and tested its citizens in unimaginable ways. Thousands lost their jobs and homes and nearly half of the United States banks had failed. It has been described as “the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world” (History, 2009). The tragedies and hardships that occurred during this period became subject matter for artists of the time.

Edward Hopper, Automat, New York City, NY 1927

Automat, by famous realist painter Edward Hopper, depicts a lone woman drinking a cup of coffee inside an automated diner. “The imagery and symbolism within this painting is meant to speak of the turbulent times in which it was painted” (Total Art History, 2012). This was painted in the roaring twenties, 1927, two years before the Great Depression, yet I still somehow feel the darkened state of mind that paralleled with it.

This painting is so soft, yet so dark and brooding at the same time. There is a delicate woman with a somber look on her face as she examines her “cup of joe.” The woman looks troubled and uncertain, as if she is hiding behind her hat and attempting to mentally escape. Hopper used shadowing to his advantage, and did so in a way that created a sad scene. The dark all around this woman, and even underneath her, causes the viewer to look directly at her. This darkness, in comparison to the woman’s pale skin and bright clothing, cause her figure to stand out. Hopper utilized what seems to be just the right amount of coloring: the orange in her hat, the redness of the flowers behind her , and her earthy green coat. The reds on her shirt, her lips, the flowers and the lining of the floor create a full composition. This piece is filled with texture, whether or not it was intentional. The glass and the sheen on the table are my favorite textured elements. Rather than a boldly black background, Hopper faintly whitened the glass all around, except when it came to the figure- he decided to completely blacken around her, and this also makes her figure the center.

As strange as this may sound, this painting gives me serious de ja vu. I look at it and I honestly get lost for a moment, with a feeling I’ve seen this before. I’ve been working on this blogpost for several days now and this painting seems to be consuming me. I am an avid coffee drinker and every time I smell my dark roast, I resonate with this lonely woman. Automat sparks an unrecognizable feeling in me and I’m not sure if I’m a fan of it, but just maybe, its something I need to feel.

Ronald Ginther, Mission House, Skid Road, Seattle, WA 1930

Ronald Ginther was a gifted artist from Seattle, Washington who is well-known for his watercolor creations. Ginther was also a victim of the Great Depression, as his son states, “working when he could and bumming around when he couldn’t” (The Great Depression in Washington State Project, 2009). He translated his  own perspective into works of art, much like he did with Mission House. Ginther produced over 80 pieces describing his experience, varying from life in jails, soup kitchens, Hoovervilles, and the midst of radical protests and police attacks (The Great Depression in Washington State Project, 2009).

This painting appears to be in the perspective of Ginther, entering a church. The church has several people inside who have mixed emotions and interactions with each other. There are two women performing and several men talking. One is praying and one is holding his head in devastation. I am under the impression that these men are potentially homeless, or something of the sort, due to the equipment and clothing they have on, as well as their illustrated “5-o’clock shadow.” This truly looks like a moment in time, captured by Ginther. The style of this piece is slightly American Regionalist, depicting typical American life.

Ginther’s shading really brings his piece to life. Behind the man holding his face is a shadow cast. There is also a shadow from the doorway, which seems to be due to the light entering the room from the other side. Other than shading, Ginther used line work to create a multi-dimensional effect. You can see his line work on the backs of the pews, which are diagonal, and the scattered set on blue coat of the man walking in, in particular. He expanded on this line work to create expression and detail on the men’s faces. Together, his shading and line work help create texture within the piece. The wooden texture on the pews, and the crinkled effect on the sleeping bags and the woman’s orange dress are evidence of this.

I am a fan of Ginther’s work. He does an insanely well job creating these detailed “snapshots” in time of the Great Depression. I would hang this one and many other works he has made that can be viewed on the The Great Depression in Washington State Project website.

Barbara Stevenson, Apple Vendor, 1933, Missouri

Apple Vendor, painted by Barbara Stevenson, was part of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), which was a “New Deal program created by the federal government to give financial and moral support to American artists during the Great Depression” (Smithsonian, 2017). PWAP often encouraged artists to paint “the American Scene”, which, more often than not, depicted a heartbreaking scene of struggle. In Apple Vendor, there is a male figure dominating the composition of the painting, selling apples for 5 cents a piece. In the background, two figures can be seen, a mother and child. Although expressionless, it appears they are “looking”(with their body language) at the male vendor in solemn pain at the struggles of him and likely of themselves.

The first thing I notice about this painting is the shape of the male vendor’s hand, which is fairly large in comparison to the rest of his figure, giving me the notion that this painting has some abstract, particularly Formalist, features. I am under the impression that Stevenson deployed this technique to bring just that much more attention to the vendor’s box of apples. The choice to place the vendor directly in the middle of the painting brings a “heroic and monumental presence” to the piece (Smithsonian, 2017). This painting is filled with varying values, most notably in the vendor’s coat, the wall to the left of his figure, on his apple box and between the factory pipes in the background. Rather than a stark gray on the wall, there are subtle purples, blues and pinks and in the box there are oranges and reds rather than primarily browns. The use of value throughout the painting creates depth and a more interesting composition. Lastly, the intensity of the blue of the vendor’s shirt, and the gold and reds of the apples bring the attention directly to the vendor. The rest of the painting has subtle, soft coloring, which brings even more attention to the apples and the vendor. I do like this painting quite a bit, mainly because of the message behind it. Stevenson’s shading on the hands and face also make it quite beautiful. I would hang this anywhere in my house.

Sources:

“Apple Vendor | Barbara Stevenson.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian, 2017, americanart.si.edu/artwork/apple-vendor-23048.

“Automat by Edward Hopper – Facts & History of the Painting.” Totally History Automat Comments, Totally History, 2012, totallyhistory.com/automat/.

“Culture and Arts during the Depression.” Culture and Arts, Pacific Northwest Labor & Civil Rights Project | University of Washington, 2009, depts.washington.edu/depress/culture_arts.shtml.

History.com Staff. “The Great Depression.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/great-depression.

“Ronald Ginther Watercolors.” Ronald Debs Ginther, Pacific Northwest Labor & Civil Rights Project | University of Washington, 2009, depts.washington.edu/depress/Ronald_Ginther_watercolors.shtml.