Two Lines, One Job

<p>Joseph Friebert used muted tones and a loose, sketchy style to portray two lines of men seen from behind, leaving them faceless and anonymous. During the Great Depression, the Milwaukee artist was determined to depict the hardships and harsh conditions that workers faced, including unemployment. Here the rhythmic pairs of figures merge and blur in the distance, suggesting that their shared fate was to endure a lengthy and perhaps futile wait for a lone job. The painting thus conveys the hopelessness felt by job seekers during the Depression, a sense accentuated by the rough texture of the painted surface.</p>