American Art: Great Depression and World Superpower, 1929-1991

  • Jan 1, 1508

    Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel at Vatican City in Italy

    Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel at Vatican City in Italy
    (1508-1512) Source: upload.wikimedia.org
  • The Great Depression begins

  • Hawk's Nest Incident

    Many miners died from silicosis due to the lack of respiratory protection when digging the Hawk's Nest Tunnel.
  • Industrial Disease: #1 Silicosis by Donato Rico

    Industrial Disease: #1 Silicosis by Donato Rico
    Lithograph created by Donato Rico during the Great Depression. Reflects the Hawk's Nest Incident in which many of the worker making the Hawk's Nest Tunnel died from silicosis due to lack of respiratory protection and exposure to silica and coal. Source: ackland.org
  • The Great Depression ends

  • World War II began

  • "We Can Do It!" by J. Howard Miller

    "We Can Do It!" by J. Howard Miller
    Wartime propaganda.
  • Rosie the Riveter by The Four Vagabonds

    Song that inspired Norman Rockwell in choosing Rosie the Riveter's name. Some of the lyrics include: “All the day long, whether rain or shine. She's a part of the assembly line. She's making history, working for victory. Rosie, brrrrrrrrrrr, the riveter."
  • Assembly Line (Home Front) by Jolán Gross-Bettelheim

    Assembly Line (Home Front) by Jolán Gross-Bettelheim
    Made during the same year as Rosie the Riveter. The lithograph depicts women in the assembly lines during World War II.
  • Rosie the Riveter

    Rosie the Riveter
    Norman Rockwell paints Rosie the Riveter. She is posted on the Saturday Evening Post as wartime propaganda to attract women to join the workforce during World War II (1939-1945). Source: en.wikipedia.org
  • World War II ends