Met Publications | Exhibition Catalogues*The Met Store Art for the Millions: American Culture and Politics in the 1930s

By Allison Rudnick
With contributions by Kirsten Pai Buick, Max Fraser, and Rachel Mustalish

American art in the 1930s—intertwined with the political, social, and economic tumult of an era not so unlike our own—engaged with the public amid global upheaval. This publication examines the search for artistic identity in the United States from the stock market crash of 1929 that began the Great Depression to the closure of the Works Progress Administration in 1943 with a focus on the unprecedented dissemination of art and ideas brought about by new technology and government programs. During this time of civil, economic, and social unrest, artists transmitted political ideas and propaganda through a wide range of media, including paintings and sculptures, but also journals, prints,…See More