Puppet - "Cotton Picker" c. 1936

Vera Van Voris' "Cotton Picker" is a watercolor painting from 1936 depicting a puppet of an African American man. The puppet, dressed in overalls and a striped shirt, is suspended from strings and painted in a detailed and realistic manner. The work reflects the prevalent imagery of African Americans in 1930s American popular culture and speaks to the complex history of racial representation in art. The artwork is a poignant example of the visual language of the time and its influence on American culture.