Examine the Clues to See the Whole Picture

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Examine the Clues to See the Whole Picture
Novella, from the series Great Ideas, 1967R. B.
Kitaj oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in. Smithsonian
American Art Museum
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What objects do you see?
What colors do you see?
What are the characteristics of the lines used in
this image?
What season does this image represent?
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Now what do you see?
What mood do the colors communicate?
Where is he looking?
What is he thinking?
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Where are these people? Are they in an urban or
rural area?
What do their faces express?
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What mood is the artist conveying?
How is he conveying this mood?
Are these people rich, middle class or poor?
What has happened to these people?
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What seems unusual in this image?
Where does your eye go first in this image? Why?
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The Whole Picture
What questions remain unanswered?
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Picture Summary
The Fifth Year1934John R. Grabach oil on wood
42 1/4 x 48 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum
John R. Grabach painted this image five years
after the stock market crash of 1929. It shows an
endless stream of people rising up out of New
York and trudging across the sky. The man in
front gazes out at the viewer from under his hat,
while his partner weeps on his shoulder.
Paintings such as this emphasize the desolate
conditions experienced by many Americans. .
.during the 1930s. These figures represent the
working masses, their gray faces and threadbare
clothes highlighting the hardships of the
Depression. Their journey through the sky
symbolizes their long trek toward a better
future.