Spring 1934

Philip Evergood made this painting, titled "Spring", using oil paint, and, well, it's a scene. I'm looking at these figures, all crowded together, each face telling its own story. Evergood doesn't shy away from showing us the grit and the weariness of labor. It's like he's trying to figure out how to paint the human condition. The colors are earthy, and the brushstrokes are loose, raw. It's not about perfection; it's about capturing a moment, a feeling. See how the light catches on that worker's face, the one with the cigarette? It's like a little spark of humanity in the middle of all this industry. It's all in conversation with other painters, like the Ashcan School, and the Mexican muralists—artists who dared to depict everyday life with such honesty and passion.