Forgotten Man

Description

Forgotten Man

Maynard Dixon, 1934

Dixon’s haunting portrayal of a dejected man sitting on a street curb encapsulates an era in American history when one-fourth of the nation’s workforce was unemployed. The figure’s posture of hopelessness with hunched shoulders, downcast gaze, and hands that are stilled by lack of work spoke volumes about the emotional toll the Great Depression wrought on so many Americans. More fortunate members of society hurry past, shown only from their well-dressed legs down, their humanity metaphorically out of the picture. The forgotten man’s inert form is of no more interest to the passerby than the fire hydrant to his side.

Forgotten Man was displayed in our American Dreams, Shaping America, and The First 100 Years exhibitions.

What’s Going On?

A solitary male figure sits on the curb of a street, his head hung down. His hands are limp in his lap. His right leg bends up to his body while his left stretches out.  He wears khaki pants, white tee shirt and a blue button-down shirt open in the front.  To the left of the canvas there is a fire hydrant.  Behind the figure are legs of people passing by.

More About Dixon

Originally from California, Dixon painted subjects in Arizona, New Mexico and eventually settled in Southern Utah. There he developed his signature style of unique compositions. These often featured low horizons and simplified, yet imposing clouds and rock formations in bold colors.

Dixon also focused on preserving the image of Native American peoples whom he believed were disappearing from the American West. While married to the famous photographer Dorothea Lange, Dixon also focused on social realist subjects. These depicted people struggling to make a living during the Great Depression.