Bumblebee Cotton c. 1940s

"Bumblebee Cotton" is a lithograph created by American artist Merritt Mauzey in the 1940s. The piece depicts three figures in a cotton field. They are all dressed in simple clothing, and their postures suggest the physical labor involved in the process of harvesting cotton. Mauzey uses his signature style, a combination of realist and stylized techniques, to capture the harsh realities of rural life during the Great Depression. The artwork highlights the plight of sharecroppers and the importance of cotton cultivation in the South during this period.