Joseph FriebertAmerican, 1908–2002Two Lines, One Job
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Art Institute of Chicago
Room263Chicago, United States
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
Joseph Friebert used muted tones and a loose, sketchy style to portray two lines of men seen from behind, leaving them faceless and anonymous. During the Great Depression, the Milwaukee artist was determined to depict the hardships and harsh conditions that workers faced, including unemployment. Here the rhythmic pairs of figures merge and blur in the distance, suggesting that their shared fate was to endure a lengthy and perhaps futile wait for a lone job. The painting thus conveys the hopelessness felt by job seekers during the Depression, a sense accentuated by the rough texture of the painted surface.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2022.244
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago: the museum's own open data · fetched 8 days ago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
