Untitled (Haywagon) c. 1930s

Eric Algot Bengtz created this image "Untitled (Haywagon)" sometime in the mid-20th century. The figures are at rest, perhaps rural laborers taking a break. But the cultural context for this print is more complex than simple rural life. Bengtz was associated with the Prairie Print Makers, an organization that sought to promote printmaking in the Midwest and aimed to create affordable art for a wider public. This ambition can be seen as part of the Regionalist art movement, which celebrated American rural life as an alternative to European Modernism. However, Bengtz’s style also reflects the influence of the Ashcan School, which focused on urban life and social realism. Considering these influences and the date it was made, this image reflects on both the urban and rural contexts of American society, and how the institutions of art at the time shaped the narrative of American identity. By consulting archives, periodicals and exhibition records we can learn more about the ways this print circulated and the artistic and social values it embodied.