The Phillips Collection presents first exhibition in Washington, DC, dedicated to the leading American social realist artist
William Gropper (b. 1897, New York, NY; d. 1977, Manhasset, NY) was a leading social realist artist whose work fervently addressed pressing socio-political issues of the 20th century. The son of impoverished immigrants from Romania and Ukraine, Gropper used his art to call attention to social injustice, contributing thousands of satirical illustrations to radical publications such as the New York Tribune, New Masses, and The Sunday Worker. The first exhibition dedicated to Gropper in Washington, DC, this presentation features more than 30 works that reveal his biting commentary on human rights, anarchy, labor, freedom, and democracy.
IMAGE: William Gropper, Justice from Capriccios, 1953–59. Lithograph, 16 1/8 × 12 ½ in., Collection of Harvey and Harvey-Ann Ross