Early Modern Art

 Early Modern Art was probably some of the most depressing art imaginable. The early modern era took place around the times of World War I and the Great Depression, which caused the art created to reflect the depressing scenarios.



Seymour Fogel
The Wealth of the Nation
1938

Out of the three pieces on presented on this post this is by far the most upbeat. It's a bunch of people frok all walks of life going about their days. The emphasis is clearly on work and moving forwards as noted by various elements, such as the scientist looking in his microscope, and the factory in the background. There are gears as well as another example. The piece doesn't feel happy either, as nobody is smiling, and the colors aren't nearly as bright as they could be. The sky as well is extremely gloomy as there's only the clouds to see. While this piece doesn't feel happy it feels like propaganda. Everyone depicted in this piece is doing work. It feels like it's telling whoever sees this piece to work in order to move the country forward.

Bernarda Bryson
Arkansas Sharecroppers
1930

Out of any piece here this is by far the creepiest. The predominant feeling I get from this is lonliness. There are four houses in the picture, but the only people visible are the couple. Every house depicted in this image is rickety at best, and the couple themselves look rather creepy. They seem rather sunken and lanky. The in the background there are a number of signs that say '666' which coupled with "Malaria" makes me think that the notion here is that Malaria is the work of the devil, and that it's wiping out families by the dozen. This theme of death which was common during the Great Depression also spreads to the trees. They have no leaves on them and they look like they rotted away.


Thomas Hart Benton
Flood
1937


This is by far the saddest piece of the three. An old couple has been driven out of their house by a flood. Homelessness was common during the Great Depression with most families not earning even remotely enough to put bread on the table. Any natural disasters would ruin them. Once again there is a theme of death represented once again by the dead trees. Also the overcast sky conveys a feeling of hopelessness, which is the main feeling that I get from this image.

Sources:

by russelltetherfineart ·in Uncategorized· 3 Comments. “The American Scene and Public Art during the Great Depression.” Russell Tether Fine Arts Associates, LLC, 16 Jan. 2013, russelltetherfineart.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/the-american-scene-and-public-art-during-the-great-depression/.


“National Gallery of Art.” Great Depression, www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/uncovering-america/great-depression.html.

Comments

  1. Rizza MaeApril 6, 2021 at 12:48 AM

    Interesting choice of artwork, Forrest! It is true that the evolved art pieces after World War I was for sure depressing but based on the artwork that were made after that, I also think that it gave people hope and inspiration to keep on going. If the war did not bring them any positive influence at all, then no one made any piece of art when the war ended. I appreciate the second piece that you presented which was made by Bryson. I think he only used a charcoal pencil and a paper to make the sketches and shadowing. It is always incredible how shadows and positioning can change how the dimension look on a flat paper. Although it did not look as realistic but this is something that I would keep if someone would sketch my portrait. Did you know that there are different kinds of charcoals used in drawings and sketches? The texture and pigment are the basic qualities you need to know in finding the best type of charcoal you would want to use if you ever wanted to try sketching. Here is an article about it...

    https://www.arttutor.com/blog/201810/quick-guide-different-types-charcoal-artists

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