No Place To Go

Description

Maynard Dixon, 1935

In the mid-19th century, the vast American landscape indicated the promise of prosperity and unlimited possibilities. Here however, it turns into disappointment, the landscape becoming a prison. Dixon, primarily known for his panoramic vistas of the American West, produced realist paintings of Depression-era figures during the 1930s. In this painting, the dejected form of a man slumps against a fence that cuts off any escape. “No Place to Go” reflects the lack of purpose felt by the unemployed during the Great Depression.