Coal Haulers 1938

Bernece Berkman-Hunter's 1938 lithograph "Coal Haulers" depicts a dramatic scene of workers loading coal into a truck. The artist uses bold, expressive lines and heavy blacks to convey the physical labor involved in this occupation. The composition is dynamic, with the workers and the truck forming a diagonal line that draws the viewer's eye across the image. The figures are simplified and stylized, suggesting a focus on form and movement rather than realistic representation. This work is a powerful example of social realism, a style that emerged in the 1930s to depict the realities of everyday life for working-class people.