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SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title American Gothic (1930) Subject The painting American Gothic symbolizes
life in rural America and is one of the
greatest icons of American Art.
It shows how the people in the rural areas
lived and how they value hard work and
their faith.
The painting, depending on one’s
interpretation, may consider it as a
celebration of the American rural spirit or
may consider it as a mild irony such that it
shows also the cynicism of the people
depicted in the stubborn look of the old
man and the tough girl image of the
woman.
Artist Grant Wood The artist used a house with a design
common in his native Iowa which used
Gothic pointed arch windows which were
trademarks of the architecture of the
houses there. Then the artist’s sister and
his dentist were made as the subjects of
the painting. The man wore a black coat
and a shirt with a design resembling the
pitchfork that he was holding.
Medium Oil on Beaverboard
Size 74.3 cm x 62.4 cm
(29 1/4 in x 24 1/2 in)
Location Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Curved lines, straight lines
Value Light colors in
background, dark colors in
clothing
Light/Shadow Shadows seen between
the man’s shirt and the
pitchfork
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth Portraits
Volume Flat
Space Two-Dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Elongated and arched
shapes
Everyday Rural Life
Color Shades of white in the
house, black, white and
maroon on their clothing
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Echo of a Scream (1937) Subject The painting shows the horrors war can
bring to the people especially to the
innocent ones.
The baby symbolizes the massive trauma
that war brings to the lives of the people.
The echo of the baby’s cry, represented by
the enlarged shadow, symbolizes the
persistent calls to condemn and
discourage war as a human practice.
The debris that scattered in the place
where the baby sat symbolize the damage
to property and livelihood which will
result into a humanitarian disaster.
Artist David Alfaro Siqueiros The painting depicted a crying baby and a
shadow of the baby at the back. The
shadow of the baby was enlarged and the
real baby sat on the ground with debris
brought by a war scattered all over the
place.
Medium Enamel on wood
Size 121.9 cm x 91.4 cm
(48 in x 36 in)
Location Museum of Modern Art
New York, NY, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Straight, Curved, Pointed
Value Combination of dark hues
Light/Shadow Absence of light all over Type of Subject
Texture Rough History
Volume Heavy, deep hiding
Space Two-Dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Irregular Shapes Current events at the time of the painting
Color Strong, dark colors
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title The Migration of the Negro,
panel # 49 (1940-41)
Subject This is one of the paintings found on the
60-panel collection of Jacob Lawrence’s
paintings entitled the Migration of the
Negro. The paintings show the summary
of the migration of the African-Americans
from the southern parts of the United
States to the northern parts such as New
York City to search for a new life.
Specifically for this panel, numbered no.
49, it showed how the African-Americans
faced the challenges that discrimination
brings to them. It also showed how the
practice of segregation by the whites
became a norm as a form of
discrimination.
Artist Jacob Lawrence The subjects on the compilation are the
African-Americans. Specifically on this said
panel, it depicted a small diner where the
Whites and the African-Americans eat
with a cordon separating the two groups.
The white people, who sat on the left side
of the diner, didn’t mind the African
Americans on their right because of the
cordon separating them. The African-
Americans meanwhile sat on the right side
because of the segregation policies.
Medium Casein Tempera on Hardboard
Size 45.72cm x 30.48 cm (18” x 12”)
Location The Phillips Collection
Washington, DC, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Straight
Value Distinction between light
and dark colors shown in
the people’s faces
Light/Shadow Light is still Type of Subject
Texture Rough, air bubbles
present
Historical
Volume Flat
Perspective Two-dimensional Source of Subject
Space Quadrilaterals and
elongated heads
History
Color Gray background with
colors of clothing ranging
from orange to bluish
green to black and yellow
in the cordon
SEMIOTIC ICONIC CONTENT
Title Welcome Home (1946) Subject The painting criticized the power of the
military and the capitalists through the
use of satirical images..
It showed their excesses especially to the
general whose jaw on one side was
elongated due to the food in his mouth.
It also showed the indifference that the
subjects towards one another and was
manifested in the socialite’s actions and
behavior.
It was exhibited in Moscow, Russia in 1959
and stirred a controversy and even then
US President Dwight Eisenhower gave a
comment with regards to the painting
which compared the painting to a
lampoon.
Levine said that the general was a big slob
who is a vice-president of a bank and a
president of the Chamber of Commerce
and was only in the Army recently and the
socialite was the general’s wife.
Artist Jack Levine The painting depicted a decorated general
who was given a party by the elites. The
general was portrayed to have eaten a lot
and was joined by a bored socialite and
two businessmen in the table where the
newly-arrived general ate. The general
also put some salt onto the celery that he
was eating and there was also a waiter
depicted in the painting, who served some
wine to the businessman who was on the
general’s side.
Medium Oil on Canvas
Size 101.4 cm x 152.2 cm
(39 15/16 in x 59 15/16 in)
Location Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Diagonal, intersecting
lines present
Value Arrangement of colors and
strokes are scattered
Light/Shadow Light distributed evenly on
all directions
Type of Subject
Texture Uneven texture Historical Satire
Volume Faces of persons have
prominent distortions
Space Two-dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Elongated and irregular
shapes of faces, regular
shapes present in fixtures
Current Events during the time of painting
Color Use of bright colors such
as yellow on most part,
dark colors on clothing
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Migrant Mother, Nipomo
Valley (1936)
Subject The photograph “Migrant Mother” is one
of the most enduring symbolisms of the
Great Depression, which defined the very
existence of the people during that era
and beyond and has made a lasting mark
to the nation’s history.
The woman in the photo is Florence
Owens Thompson, who was a peasant
who moved to California to search for
food during the Great Depression and was
put to a standstill after the peas that they
planted there were destroyed by rain.
The identity of the woman in the iconic
photograph was unknown until a few
years after Lange’s death.
Artist Dorothea Lange The picture showed a 32-year old woman
in the middle who worked in a farm in
Nipomo Valley in California together with
two of her seven children on her sides.
The woman, who was positioned at the
center, placed her hands near her face as
the photograph was taken in their tent.
The two children on her side hid their
faces on their mother’s shoulder.
Medium Film Negative
Gelatin Silver Print (Photo)
Size 10.2 cm x 12.7 cm (4 in x 5 in)
(film negative)
Location FSA/OWI Collection,
Library of Congress
Washington, DC, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Diagonal, Straight
Value Bright middle portions,
Light/Shadow Light was focused on
subjects
Type of Subject
Texture Glossy Portraits
Volume Flat
Perspective Two-Dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Triangular pattern found
between the subjects
Current Events of that time
Color Black and White
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Nighthawks (1942) In Hopper’s signature painting, he
depicted a diner in New York City as the
setting and put in three customers and the
counterman as the subjects of the
painting. The man and the woman sat on
the portion of the counter wherein their
faces can be seen by the audience while
the other man sat on the portion where
his back can only be seen. The
counterman meanwhile, was in motion
and was looking to the two people in front
of him. Between these four people shown
in the painting, there was an air of
distance between them.
The painting Nighthawks symbolize the
loneliness and apathy of the people
towards their fellowmen.
It also depicted the loneliness and
isolation that the city may bring to a
person to his or her life.
The open gaps that were prevalent in the
diner and the city street shows the feeling
of distance that manifests in the
interaction of the subjects towards one
another.
Although Hopper rejected the
interpretations of art critics regarding to
his work, the common notion that the
painting depicts indifference and apathy
of the city dwellers still remained.
Artist Edward Hopper
Medium Oil on Canvas
Size 84.1 cm X 152.4 cm
(33 1/8” X 60”)
Location Art Institute of Chicago,
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Price $ 3,000
(purchase price in 1942)
Elements
Line Diagonal, curved
Value High contrast between
interiors and exteriors
Light/Shadow Light was concentrated to
the diner’s interiors, forms
shadows to the outside
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth Cityscape
Volume Flat
Space Two-dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Angular, imposing shapes Everyday Life
Color Cream interiors to dark -
green
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Pioneers and Early Settlers,
part of The Social History of
Missouri (1936)
Subject The mural, which was an overall summary
of the History of Missouri where Benton
came from, became one of his most iconic
artworks.
It shows to the people that art can be an
effective medium to bring the story of the
collective roots of the people in a locality
to life.
This particular section of the mural
showed the challenges that the new
settlers face in adjusting to their new life
in a new found land and to the indigenous
residents who lived in that land for a long
time to live together in harmony with the
settlers.
Artist Thomas Hart Benton This section of Benton’s mural in the
Missouri State Capitol depicted the
humble beginnings of the state. The left
side of the section showed settlers who
moved together with their families in a
new found land. It also showed a white
man trading with an American Indian. The
right corner showed how the people
constructed the first buildings of the State.
Medium Egg Tempera
Size No Available Size
Location Missouri State Capitol
Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
Price $ 10 Million (2003 values)
Elements
Line Lines are fluid
Value Contrast between colors
are balanced
Light/Shadow Light is distributed
throughout the mural
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth Historical
Volume Heavy
Space Two-dimensional with
magnification effect of the
subjects
Source of Subject
Shape Angled, mixed History and Legend
Color Bright colors
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Modern Migration of the
Spirit, Panel 21 of The Epic of
American Civilization (1932-
34)
Subject
The panel showed a defiantly resurrected
Jesus Christ who was surrounded by his
Cross which was fallen from its place
together with armed weapons and
material symbols which he also destroyed.
The mural, numbered 21, is part of the
series of murals entitled “The Epic of
American Civilization” and is known as
“Modern Migration of the Spirit”.
This panel symbolizes the destruction of
world orders and systems which deprive
the rights of the people especially the
oppressed and the marginalized.
The depiction of Jesus Christ in this mural
is a symbolism that he will destroy once
and for all the sources of human misery
like arms that are made by man and used
to kill fellow people.
Artist Jose Clemente Orozco
Medium Fresco
Size No available size
Location Baker Memorial Library,
Darthmouth College, Hanover,
New Hampshire, USA
Price $ 10,000 (total cost, 1934)
Elements
Line Diagonal, Vertical
Value Dark tones predominant
Light/Shadow Dark portions in the right,
Spotlight is on Christ,
Shadows on Christ’s foot
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth Religion and Mythology
Volume Flat
Perspective Two-Dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Angular, cylindrical
(armaments)
Judeo-Christian
Color Dark colors like black
complemented with
lighter tones
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Man, Controller of the
Universe (1934)
(formerly known as Man at the
Crossroads)
Subject
The mural depicted a proletarian in the
center who is in control of the machine
that he is operating. There was also an
intersection formed at the back of the
worker which showed the human body
and the universe. The left side of the
mural showed a biology class, elites who
were partying, protesters being arrested
by the police and a masked army. The
right side of the mural showed people
marching peacefully during Labor Day. The
middle right portion showed Lenin shaking
hands with the people and the far right
portion showed Trotsky holding a banner.
This mural was the recreated version with
the same content that Diego Rivera
created after the original mural which was
painted in the Rockefeller Center in New
York was destroyed by the order of his
patron, Nelson Rockefeller, after seeing
the image of Lenin in that said mural.
The mural symbolizes the victory of the
proletarian, who is the center of the
universe and their march to freedom and
also the glorification of the ideologies of
socialism and even communism.
The mural features several well-known
people like Vladimir Lenin and Leon
Trotsky who were Russian Communist
figures.
Ben Shahn, one of the artists who
embraced social realism, worked with
Rivera in the original, ill-fated version of
this mural in New York.
Artist Diego Rivera
Medium Fresco
Size No Available Size
Location Palacio de Bellas Artes
Mexico City, Mexico
(location of the revived mural)
Price
Elements
Line Curved, Vertical, diagonal
Value Color tones are evenly
distributed
Light/Shadow Light is spread out all
over the painting
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth Historical
Volume Flat, Compact
Perspective Two-Dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Elliptical, circular, angular Current Events during that time
Color Red, gold colors widely
used with other hues
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Years of Dust (1937) Subject The poster, which was created during the
Great Depression, gave a glitter of hope to
the farmers who were impoverished by
dust storms that hit them.
The bold-face fonts in the poster convey a
message that these people shall be given
the needed help whenever they needed it
greatly.
The picture in the poster depicted the
loneliness and the despair of a person
especially in times of calamities and
economic depressions which can affect
the overall well-being of the person.
Artist Ben Shahn The poster showed a farmer sitting
outside of his house with his hands
clenched on his face as a sign of
frustration. It also showed a newspaper on
the farmer’s lap which wrote about a dust
storm hitting the area where the farmer
lived.
Medium Color Lithograph
Size 96.2 cm x 63.5 cm
(37 7/8 in x 25 in)
Location Library of Congress
Washington, DC, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Vertical, horizontal,
intersecting
Value Darker consistencies of
color are used
Light/Shadow Farmer’s eyes are dark
then contrasts to the
bright portions of his
mouth and hands
Type of Subject
Texture Slightly rough, Print
residues present
Portraits
Volume Bold-faced lettering,
drawing area is flat
Perspective Two-dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Quadrilateral Current Events during that time
Color Black, white, brown
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title McSorley’s Bar (1912) Subject This painting, which was made by one of
the members of the Ash Can School who
were the frontrunners of Social Realism,
John Sloan, depicted a famous, all-men
bar which served as their social area.
The painting symbolized the respite of the
working class from a hard day’s work
through the image of the bar.
The bar, which is one of the most famous
in New York, was founded in 1854 and
catered to the working class market.
Artist John Sloan The painting depicted a bar table wherein
drinks are served. The bartender was busy
in preparing drinks and passed to his
waiter the prepared drinks to the
customers. There were three customers in
this painting. The first man stood near the
waiter, waiting for his drink. On the far
right, there were two men who were
chatting over a round of drinks.
Medium Oil on Canvas
Size 66 cm x 81.3 cm (26 in x 32 in)
Location Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Horizontal, vertical
Value Dark areas in bar counter
and fixtures, light areas on
the center and the floor
Light/Shadow Light focuses on the
center near the bartender,
shadows manifested from
the customers
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth City Life
Volume Flat, Moderate fill
Perspective Two-dimensional Source of Subject
Shape Linear shapes Everyday Life
Color Shades of yellow to brown
extensively used
SEMIOTIC ICONIC
CONTENT
Title Alabama Tenant Farmer Wife
(1936)
Subject This photograph, part of a series, showed
a flat smile, which was one of the four
facial expressions of the subject that Evans
shot in his camera.
The grin of the woman showed the
underlying frustration and despair that the
Great Depression was bringing to her, to
her husband and to their family.
In other photographs of the subject, it also
showed the anger and resentment of the
woman towards her situation during the
depression through her grinning pose.
Artist Walker Evans The subject of this photograph is Allie Mae
Burroughs, the wife of a farmer living in
Alabama. The couple never owned a piece
of land and were tenants to a landlord.
The subject was positioned at the back of
their cabin and the photograph was taken
with her in the center. The subject made a
flat smile on the shot.
Medium Film Negative
Gelatin Silver Print (Photo)
Size 20.3 cm x 25.4 cm (8 in x 10 in)
(size of photograph)
Location Library of Congress
Washington, DC, USA
Price No Available Price
Elements
Line Horizontal lines
Value Lighter hues dominate
due to light
Light/Shadow Light was focused on the
subject, shadows found on
subject’s back
Type of Subject
Texture Smooth, Glossy Portraits
Volume Flat, Linear
Space Two-dimensional, subject
is at the center
Source of Subject
Shape Shapes of wood planks
served as background
Current Events at that time
Color Black and White
Nighthawks (1942)
Edward Hopper
Oil on Canvas
84.1 cm x 152.4 cm (33 1/8 in by 60 in)
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
American Gothic (1930)
Grant Wood
Oil on Beaverboard
74.3 cm x 62.4 cm (29 1/4 in x 24 1/2 in)
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
McSorley’s Bar (1912)
John Sloan
Oil on Canvas
66 cm x 81.3 cm (26 in x 32 in)
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Welcome Home (1946)
Jack Levine
Oil on Canvas
101.4 cm x 152.2 cm (39 15/16 in x 59 15/16 in)
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Pioneers and Early Settlers, section of The Social History of Missouri
Thomas Hart Benton
Egg Tempera
Missouri State Capitol, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
Years of Dust (1937)
Ben Shahn
Color Lithograph
96.2 cm x 63.5 cm (37 7/8 in x 25 in)
Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA
The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 49 (1940-41)
Jacob Lawrence
Casein Tempera on Hardboard
45.72 cm x 30.48 cm (18 in x 12 in)
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC, USA
Modern Migration of the Spirit, Panel 21 of The Epic of American Civilization (1932-34)
Jose Clemente Orozco
Fresco
Baker Memorial Library, Darthmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
Migrant Mother, Nipomo Valley (1936)
Dorothea Lange
Gelatin Silver Print and Film Negative
10.2 cm x 12.7 cm (4 in x 5 in) (negative)
FSA/OWI Collection, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA
Echo of a Scream (1937)
David Alfaro Siqueiros
Enamel on Wood
121.9 cm x 91.4 cm (48 in x 36 in)
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, USA
Man, Controller of the Universe (formerly known as Man at the Crossroads) (1934)
Diego Rivera
Fresco
Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico
Alabama Tenant Farmer Wife (1936)
Walker Evans
Gelatin Silver Photo and Film Negative
20.3 cm x 25.4 cm (8 in x 10 in) (size of photograph)
Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA