Tealeaf Reading
In Tealeaf Reading, Vogel again adopted the theme of vision to suggest an inverted world. At the center of the image is a clairvoyant figure who possesses the ability to see the future clearly, as suggested by his sign advertising "tealeaf reading." In contrast, the passersby on the street, including a police officer, are shown as metaphorically blind to the prospect of another world war, even as tensions mount. The striking image may have jolted viewers into recognizing society’s catastrophic trajectory, but it also implicitly recast blindness as a redemptive gift. Disability is framed as exceptional rather than as an ordinary aspect of human experience.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tealeaf Reading
- Artist: Joseph Vogel (American, 1911–1995)
- Publisher: WPA
- Date: 1938–41
- Medium: Lithograph
- Dimensions: sheet: 20 9/16 x 15 7/16 in. (52.2 x 39.2 cm)
image: 17 1/4 x 12 15/16 in. (43.8 x 32.8 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of the Work Projects Administration, New York, 1943
- Object Number: 43.33.1145
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Joseph Vogel (American, 1911–1995)
1935–43
Joseph Vogel (American, 1911–1995)
1935–43
Joseph Vogel (American, 1911–1995)
1935–43
Joseph Vogel (American, 1911–1995)
1939
Joseph Vogel (American, 1911–1995)
1935–43
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