Moses Soyer - Artists on WPA [1935]

Moses Soyer - Artists on WPA [1935], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Dedicated to art expression with social-realist themes of the Depression Era in America, Moses Soyer (Borisoglebsk, Russia, 1899 - New York, 1974) was one of three artistic brothers, the others being Raphael and Isaac. Raphael Soyer was Moses' identical twin. Later in his career, Moses Soyer turned to the depiction of female figures, especially ballet dancers.

The Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 to the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people and affecting almost every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain populations. It was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential order, and funded by Congress with passage of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 on April 8, 1935. The legislation had passed in the House by a margin of 329 to 78, but got bogged down in the Senate. 

[Oil on canvas, 91.7 x 107.0 cm]