The Workers Possibly 1937 - 1973

Max Weber's print, *The Workers*, captures an era grappling with industrialization and labor rights. Weber, an Eastern European Jewish immigrant, witnessed firsthand the grueling conditions faced by workers in early 20th-century America. The stark, graphic style emphasizes the physical strain and dehumanizing effect of manual labor. Consider how Weber uses the white lines of the figures to create tension against the dark background; these are bodies pushed to their limit. There is a sense of solidarity, but also confinement, as these anonymous figures are bound together under what looks like a threatening sky. Weber once said he sought to present the "spiritual side of objects". Does *The Workers* celebrate the collective struggle of the working class, or does it serve as a lament for lost individuality in the face of industrial progress? Either way, the image encourages us to reflect on our relationship to labor, and its impact on our collective identity.