Most of the time the word art brings to the mind images of beautiful vast landscapes, or perhaps a stunning family portrait. Generally speaking, the aesthetic qualities of a piece of art have more to do with whether it makes itself on the wall of a person’s home than anything else. There is another type, however, that has the capacity to capture the emotion of an entire nation. A truly special work of art is one that is aesthetically pleasing while conveying a powerful message to its viewers. The Forgotten Man by Maynard Dixon employs characteristics of the social realism art movement, the artist’s actual life experiences, and unique aesthetic qualities to capture the downtrodden emotional state of America during the Great Depression.
The Social Realism movement is characterized by its realistic portrayal of difficult economic circumstances created by a corrupt social structure. It is most often depicted through the eyes of the working class since they almost always suffer most in the wake of problems caused by such systems. The Forgotten Man draws heavily from this movement as it connects with the injustices and hardships of the Great Depression felt by the unnamed subject of the painting. The title of the work is representative of how a person such as the man in the painting must have felt during this time period. Just from hearing the title one easily adopts a social realists point of view, deriving that the man has been forgotten by the government or upper class society. Dixon’s choice to make one person the subject of his work allows the viewer to more personally sympathize with the helpless mindset of the man, therefore further reinforcing social realism ideals. Dixon’s focus on one single individual to express the feelings of an entire social economic class is also indicative of his own personal life experiences leading up to, and during the time when he painted The Forgotten Man. Maynard Dixon was born in Fresno, California to aristocratic ex-confederate parents who had recently relocated from Virginia after the Civil War. From a young age he was taught by his mother to appreciate the arts. Later in his youth he studied briefly at the California School of Design where he learned to love painting western theme landscapes (Stremmel). His favorable upbringing provided Dixon with a reference point from which to contrast his life experiences during the Great Depression.
After his first marriage failed, Dixon married Dorothea Lange in 1920. A famed photographer, Dorothea dedicated her work to depicting the difficulties experienced by migrant workers in America as well as maritime workers strikes in San Francisco. Her work undoubtedly influenced Dixon’s art style as his paintings switched from impressionist style western landscapes to social realism inspired depictions of people of the day (Stremmel). The Forgotten Man, painted in 1934 takes on a new meaning when one considers the personal economic struggles faced by Dixon and his family. Gaining commission from their art was nearly impossible for both Dixon and his wife during a time when most were more worried about providing the bare necessities for their families. Eventually the artists were forced to give up their home, board their children, and live in their art studios (Sublette). When contrasted with his previous lifestyle, these events placed him in a position to intimately understand the emotions experienced by the subject of his painting. Dixon combines this understanding with unique and carefully planned aesthetic qualities to produce a compelling piece of art.
As one examines The Forgotten Man, much of the meaning behind the painting can be attributed to the way in which Dixon uses shading, color and other aesthetic characteristics to capture the emotion of both the man and the painting as a whole. The unnamed subject is hunched over, sitting on a busy street curb with his left leg stretched out in a dejected manner. His eyes which are unseen to the viewer, are sadly staring downward into his dirty, limp hands. His exhausted facial expression coupled with his unkempt blond hair conveys a sense of utter hopelessness, undoubtedly felt by many working class men of the day. The scene surrounding the man as well as the colors used also contributes greatly to the overall feeling of the painting.
Behind the subject we see a crowd of people hurrying off to their various destinations. One would assume by the fancy appearance of the shoes and pants that these people are headed to work. This serves to tie in the title once again as the “forgotten” subject seems to be the only one without work. Only the legs of the people are shown, making the subject appear to be smaller and even more ignored by those passing by who are obviously not paying any attention to him. Along the base of the curb on either side of the man are small dirty street puddles that appear to be creeping toward him. This places him yet again in a lower, more insignificant place than the clean businessmen and women who are walking on the raised curb. Extensive shadowing is used in this oil painting to emphasize the desired emotion. The fact that the sun is placed at the man’s back leaving him in the dark shadows effectively accentuates the sadness of the man’s facial expressions and hunched body posture. The dreary blue tone of the man’s coat as well as the top of the nearby fire hydrant coupled with brown and tan tones of the pants and street curb also add to the depressed feeling of the painting. Overall, these aesthetic qualities successfully portray the emotions felt by not only Dixon, but also all American working class men and women of the Great Depression.
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