WPA

Clarence Lawson American

Not on view

A sculptor and painter, Lawson studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and was the first African American to win their prestigious James Nelson Raymond travel fellowship, which he used to visit countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East in 1938–39. The title of this lithograph may refer to the federal arts projects run under the Works Progress Administration, or to projects that employed individuals in construction and other fields during the Depression. Lawson’s worker, equipped with a sickle and shovel, appears as a symbol of the strength of American labor, and is rooted in diverse stylistic sources in African and ancient art.

WPA, Clarence Lawson (American, Beaumont, Texas 1909–1988 Chicago, Illinois), Lithograph

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.