Early Modern Blog
I am a child of depression era
parents. There were many stories told to me by my parents about how life was a
daily struggle for them during that time and how they never really had enough
to eat. My father was born in 1919 and my mother in 1926. From what they told
me, this picture is an accurate display of working in the fields. My father would
tell me about carrying water to his father working in the field every day. My
mother was working at the early age of 5 picking cotton every day with a huge
white sack over her shoulder to carry the cotton in. She and her father were
exhausted every day. Eventually, due to some unexpected events, she was allowed
to attend school instead of working.
I like this painting for its accuracy from how the workers are hunched over to pick the cotton, and that the clouds and the pale color of the cotton meet in the distance to show the enormous size of these fields. I can’t imagine being expected to handpick all off that cotton. I like that the parents allow the child to shed their clothes while lying in the makeshift shelter to escape the hot sun while they work.
Thomas Hart Benton
Cotton Pickers, 1945
ON THE EAST RIVER
Even though these paintings are sad and depressing, I do like them for accurately showing how downtrodden and almost hopeless people were during this time. Their expression on their faces shows they have lost all hope. In this painting they look exhausted as the one gentleman is curled up to rest. The dark tones the artist uses sets and adds to the hopelessness they must have been feeling along with their sunken cheeks with the corners of their mouths downturned.
Nicolai Cikovsky, On the East River 1934. Oil on canvas. 81.3 x 121.9 cm.
SORROWING FARMERS
The artist for this painting used dark tones well
to show the exhaustion and despair of the farm workers. Deep, dark grooves are used in their facial features. This artist does not show any background scenery, but
instead shows them up close leaning against a post in exhaustion. This would be
correct as he is drawing all the attention to them and their faces. The way
they are huddling together suggests that they have been through a lot together.
MY PERSONAL FAMILY PHOTO FROM THE DEPRESSION ERA
This last one is a photograph of my maternal grandparents,
Cleo and Lofton Jones, with my mother Billie standing between them. You can see my mother has written their names at the top. This was taken
around 1928-1929 when she was 2 or 3 years old. The location would have been somewhere
in the central San Joaquin Valley in California. All my grandfather knew was farm
work. I chose to put a personal photograph in my blog to compare the look on my
grandfather’s face to the paintings. He has the same drawn, dark look on his that they have. My grandmother was very sickly and not able to work much if at all. She
died when my mother was only 8 years old.
Photograph source: Lisa Rocha's family photos. Photographer unknown, but would most likely have been a relative of mine.
https://alisonberka13.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/the-great-depression-and-the-early-modern-era/
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/america-after-the-fall
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Hi Lisa! I think all of the art you chose does a very good job of displaying the emotions felt during the Great Depression. I noticed that the first painting uses very wavy lines throughout the entire painting, from the sky to the people. I think this is symbolic of the uncertainty and confusion of the time. In the second painting, the two men are sitting next to a newspaper. The people in the newspaper look happy, creating a contrast with the sadness of the two men. The third image was drawn with very dark lines. The dark shadows and the white background combine to accentuate the people's features and add to the drama of the art. I also really enjoyed reading about your family's experiences during the Great Depression and looking at the family picture you included. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour post really captures the resilience and hardship endured by families during the Great Depression. It's hard to imagine the daily struggles your parents endured from such a young age. Their perseverance and determination are truly admirable, and It's touching to hear that your mother was eventually able to attend school. I think the attention to detail in the painting you chose is remarkable. It serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges faced by families during that era. The depiction of the child finding shade in the makeshift shelter while the parents work under the hot sun is a strong reminder of the harsh realities of agricultural labor. Thank you for sharing your personal connection to this painting.
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