The Hitchhiker 1937 - 1943

"The Hitchhiker" is a lithograph created between 1937 and 1943 by the American artist Robert Gwathmey (1903-1988). The print depicts a black man in a white shirt and brown pants walking away from a billboard advertising a woman in a green dress, while a man in overalls sits down and gazes at the billboard. Gwathmey's work often focused on themes of race and class in America. The simple, bold lines and bright colors of the print are characteristic of the artist's style. "The Hitchhiker" exemplifies Gwathmey’s focus on the plight of African Americans during this period. The composition, with the central figure moving away from the advertisement, emphasizes the themes of alienation and segregation during the 1940s.