Mother Mary Picture Analysis: Depiction Of The Great Depression Impact On Families

During the twentieth century, the era known as “The Great Depression” triggered many families to strain as they were trying to survive with a lack of everything. This period in time was a worldwide economic state of depression that took place mostly in the nineteen-thirties. The picture shows a mother holding a baby staring into the distance with an agitated look on her face as it seems she is out of hope. Her two kids are hiding their faces as they are using her for protection. The clothing that the mother is wearing is ripped and dirty, which shows that it was hard to obtain clean clothing and the lack of clothing was at a high.

The facial expression she is revealing allows the viewers to have a sense of relation to the depressing thoughts existing in her head. At that time, families had nothing. There was not any help to push them through this difficult time. The only thing the world had was the thought of grasping that things were not going to get better for a very long time. With a picture that seems so simple, there is hidden qualities that remain. With the mother’s arm displaying a vertical line, it conveys attention towards her face. The two kids and the mother are organized in a pyramid-like shape, with the mother’s face at the top of the pyramid. This arrangement brings even more attention on the mother’s face. An additional element that is publicized in the picture is value. There is a difference in value that is displayed between the pale skin of the baby being held by the mother and the darker skin of the mother and the two other kids. The dissimilarity of the skin colors shows the results of the sun’s exposure from working in fields. Lastly, space is a big part of the picture. With the picture cropped tightly around the woman, it directs more concentration on her facial expression and body language.

In my viewing of the picture, I see a poor and depressed lady who is trying to take care of her three kids. It seems as if the mother is not married or the father is not present in their lives. With a strong emphasis on the mother’s facial expression of the mother, it allows me to sense that there is not hope in their future. The way that the picture displays the eye angle of the mother looking away from the camera shows a deep thought going through her head. The ripped and dirty clothing allows me to believe that poverty is a major problem in the family.

Overall, I see a family that is broken and struggling to survive with poverty being the main issue. When the question of “is this a successful work of art?” is asked, there are a variety of factors to implement an answer. Some factors may include: “is the meaning received by the viewer?”, “does the picture have a direct relation to the current date and time?” or “does the picture display true feelings and thoughts?” In the picture, I notice the formal theory being shown. Images that contain a formal theory have the majority of the attention directed towards the time and date of the picture, which in this picture, shows the “Great Depression Era” and the effect of poverty on the family.

Overall, I believe that the picture is successful in regards to getting the point across to the viewers.