Untitled (Soldier of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade) 1937

Michael Lenson’s 1937 lithograph, “Untitled (Soldier of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade),” portrays a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, an American volunteer unit that fought in the Spanish Civil War. The subject is depicted in profile, holding a rifle and gazing upward with a determined expression. The background, comprised of dark, swirling lines, evokes the chaos of the war. This powerful image exemplifies the social realism movement, which focused on depicting working-class life and social issues.