Lynching c. 1935 - 1941

Boris Gorelick created this print, titled ‘Lynching’, during a time of immense social upheaval and racial violence in the United States. Gorelick, born in 1908, would have been keenly aware of the injustices faced by African Americans in the early to mid-20th century. In ‘Lynching,’ Gorelick confronts the viewer with a scene of horror. The exaggerated expression of the Black man in the center evokes the terror of facing a lynch mob. The figures are surrounded by symbols of authority, such as the church and jail, complicit in the act. Gorelick develops a narrative that challenges traditional representations. His print serves as a powerful indictment of racial violence and the systems that perpetuate it. It reflects an emotional and personal response to the widespread injustice of lynching. It invites us to confront a painful chapter in history.