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Image Not Available for The Arts of Life in America: Unemployment, Radical Protest, Speed
The Arts of Life in America: Unemployment, Radical Protest, Speed
Image Not Available for The Arts of Life in America: Unemployment, Radical Protest, Speed

The Arts of Life in America: Unemployment, Radical Protest, Speed

Artist Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975)
Date1932
MediumTempera on board
DimensionsOverall, Frame: 32 1/4 x 176 3/8 in. (81.9 x 448 cm)
32 x 176 1/2 in. (81.3 x 448.3 cm)
ClassificationsModern art
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.2011
Terms
  • People
  • Abstract
  • Blue
  • Yellow
  • Green
  • Orange
  • Pink
  • Red
  • Black
  • New York
Collections
On View
On view
DescriptionThis painting, painted with tempera on board, underscores much of the political and social issues of the day. There are illustrations from the left to the right of a woman driving a car, a locomotive, industrialization, wage strikers and the gunmen firing at them dominate the scene. The bright red, green, and yellow colors, paired with the suggestion of movement, infuses the painting with energy.

Label TextThomas Hart Benton American, 1889–1975 The Arts of Life in America: Unemployment, Radical Protest, Speed, 1932 Tempera on board Modern America is a fast-paced world in Thomas Hart Benton’s mural, one of eight panels originally decorating the library of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Cars, trains, and planes crisscross the left end of this long ceiling panel, while in the center, a rally by striking workers turns violent, capturing both the excitement and tensions of the turbulent 1930s. When the Whitney Museum moved to a new building in 1954, Benton’s murals were taken down and sold. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2011
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