Man Working [recto]
early 1940s
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
carborundum mezzotint in black on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 18.9 x 25.4 cm (7 7/16 x 10 in.) sheet: 24.8 x 29.5 cm (9 3/4 x 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Fine in memory of Larry Day
Accession Number
1998.84.5.a
Art Historical Context
Dox Thrash's *Man Working [recto*, created in the early 1940s, captures the dignity of labor through a masterful print. This African American artist and innovator, active during the WPA era, depicted everyday scenes of working-class life, often highlighting Black experiences in urban America amid the Great Depression's lingering shadows and War II's demands. The image's subject—a man focused on his task—evokes resilience and routine toil, rendered with striking tonal depth on wove paper. Thrash's pioneering use of carborundum mezzotint revolutionized printmaking. By grinding carborundum (a si...