Negro Standing
1937
Medium
Pen and graphite on paper
Dimensions
11 5/8 × 8 1/16 in. (29.5 × 20.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Modern and Contemporary Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Pennsylvania W. P. A., 1943
Accession Number
43.46.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Negro Standing**, a poignant 1937 drawing by Mesibov, captures solitary male figure in quiet contemplation. Rendered in pen and graphite on paper11 5/8 × 8 1/16 in.), this intimate work exemplifies Mesibov's skill in Social Realism, a movement that emphasized everyday people amid the struggles of the Great Depression. The modest scale invites viewers close, fostering a sense of connection to the subject's introspective pose. Created during the height of the New Deal era, the artwork was produced under the Pennsylvania Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), a federal program that employed t...
About the Artist
Hugh Mesibov · 1916–2016
American, Philadelphia 1916–2016