Early Modern Blog
Blog Post
Introduction
The Great Depression was the worst downfall in the industrialized world which lasted between 1929 through 1939. The stock market crash of October 1929 is what started this chain reaction which involved the failure of banks along with over 15 million Americans finding themselves unemployed. This was a terrible time in the world since many adults found themselves unemployed and struggling to find work to help provide for themselves and their children. We are lucky to have such artistic pieces such as photography and painting s because it captures these times and the emotions that were shown during these events.
Description
This photograph hasn't given credit to the photographer but that doesn't take away from the power and message that this photo gives off. As mentioned in the introduction, not only were adults the ones affected directly by the great depression but there was also a direct relation to the children of this era as they were the ones suffering from homelessness and also hunger. It is crucial that young children get the proper sleep and nutrition as they are growing and need the proper supplements to ensure they are growing. In the photo above we see the main subjects being young children protesting for someone to hire their father. This photo shows how children were directly affected and make the viewer feel a sense of guilt since we are powerless to do anything to help the children.
Elements of this photograph that stand out to me include focus points being the sign and also how the photographer captured the children in a way that makes them look innocent and in need of help. It is obvious that the main idea of this picture is to display the wording on the sign and this photograph is positioned in such a way that it displays the lettering clearly. Also, capturing the children in a moment while holding the sign above their heads is powerful and displays the emotion to the viewer of how these children felt during these tough times. I personally wouldn't own this piece as it makes me feel sad.
Description
Similar to the previous photograph, this one also gives no credit to the photographer responsible for capturing this moment. This is another example of how times were tough during the great depression as we see hundreds of men and women standing in front of a store giving out free goods. This goes to show how tough times were for these families as often the small sample of free food which they would receive from the stores would have to be split to provide for an entire family and in some cases may be the only food they received for a few days. Crazy to think that in today's society we can often find empty stores and many individuals having the luxury of choosing which food items they want for their next meal. Reminiscing on these tough times in the 1900s makes me all the more grateful for the current economy and how must families are well enough off to have access to nutritious food.
In this photo, I am amazed by the outfits of the adults and also the power in numbers. Without knowing the background of this moment and by just looking and the adults in line you would think to yourself that they were average people able to provide for their families but the coats and hats they wore. In today's society, you picture the homeless as dirty and often missing clothing pieces on their body. The number of people who were homeless during this time is represented in this photo as it was everyone from union workers to entrepreneurs who found themselves in need. Although I would never own this piece, it should be shown to many as it is a reminder of how lucky we are in today's society.
Description
This painting named "The Great Depression" created by David Lewis can currently be found at Cynon Valley Museum. David captures many emotions in this painting as we see four gentlemen all waiting for the bus with poor and defeated body language. From my perspective, I would assume that these men have been waiting for a long time as they seem to be sleeping and made themselves comfortable in their environment. This correlates with the great depression as many men would be homeless and have to find a safe public place to stay for the night. As mentioned earlier, these men look to be normally employed citizens in any other generation but in knowing the time frame this painting was created it is obvious that the majority of the society was suffering and in need of help.
The element that impresses me in this painting is the contrast of color as well as the detail shown in the lines. The background is a light display of orange and yellow and brings out the color of the characters in the painting to the forefront of the viewer's attention. Having dark colors in front of a light background makes the attention drawn towards the color. Also, the lines on the wall in the background as well as the bench create a great sense of depth to the painting. It is from these lines that we can clearly depict between the character closest to the canvas versus the farthest character. I would own a piece similar to this one as it shows the harsh reality of the times in the 1900s while not being too sad for me to view.
Sources
Colarossi, Natalie. “25 Vintage Photos Show How Desperate and Desolate America Looked during the Great Depression, the Last Time the Unemployment Rate Was as High as It Is Today.” Insider, Insider, 11 May 2020, https://www.insider.com/great-depression-photos-of-america-unemployment-2020-5#the-effects-of-the-great-depression-could-be-felt-into-the-early-1940s-and-over-the-course-of-the-decade-more-than-15-million-americans-lost-their-jobs-4.
“Great Depression.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression.
History.com Editors. “Great Depression History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history.
“The Great Depression.” The Great Depression | Art UK, https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-great-depression-154128
Hi Garrett,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the art pieces you chose for this blog, however I think one more painting would have been more relatable to The Great depression. The pictures capture the mood of that era really well and I feel like they give a great insight into it and the painting is almost like a picture as well, since it is painted in the traditional style. I really admire the depth of your analysis of the pictures - it gives a deeper understanding about the story behind them!
Overall Great job on the post!
Hello Garrett,
ReplyDeleteGreat job on this post about how The Great Depression influenced the art that were created during the time. The two photographs that you showed us here are really breath-taking. Especially the first one, where we can see small kids holding up signs, demonstrating for their dads. For me, that got me very emotional and sent a strong message to me and probably more viewers. I like the way you explained that the viewer can feel some type of guilt for the children since we are powerless in this situation. That is a great analysis of a photograph from this time.
In the painting, I like how you are describing the painting and how you view and interpret the scene that is happening. That helps us, the viewers, to understand what is going on and at least get a background on it. Then, after looking into it a bit more, we are able to make our own understanding on what is going on.
The Great Depression was a difficult time for the whole world, and especially the United States, where you mentioned as many people got unemployed. I believe that you did a great job of showing the main point of the difficult times that occurred here in your choice of works and your text talking about them.
One thing that I wanted to add from what I found in my research was that Roosevelt did many artists employment program to help funding and create space for the artists during this time since he believed the artists works have a great meaning to United States history and will have in the future. That helped the artists get employment opportunities again.
Great job Garrett!