To Market 1935

Curator: This lithograph by Honoré Guilbeau Cooke, created in 1935, is entitled "To Market". The print shows figures heading towards a village against the backdrop of mountains and a clear sky. What's your initial reaction to this piece? Editor: It strikes me as intensely purposeful. The monochrome palette and sharply defined shapes really draw you in. The contrast creates this feeling of both serenity in the landscape and energy with the people making their way into town. Curator: That blend is so interesting. Visually, the procession becomes this representation of societal order. You see this composition in terms of how artists presented ideas of labor and community through imagery in the WPA era. Do you notice that emphasis here, on figures in relation to work and place? Editor: Absolutely, that symbol of labor comes across strongly, especially considering the title. I’m also curious about the contrast between the shadowy foreground figures and the figures closer to the buildings. The people heading to town—especially the woman carrying a heavy load and the small figures beneath hats in the background—suggest a daily pilgrimage to and from a cultural nexus. Curator: I'm also thinking about what we understand a "market" to represent – the trading, commerce, even a mingling of cultures that happens within that town. Cooke’s piece encourages a study of social activities around these spaces, perhaps especially resonant given economic conditions of the mid-1930s in the United States. Editor: The monolithic mountain set against what looks like an adobe-style town also reinforces a grounded-ness and continuity. Even without the precise details about the region or community, that archetype comes through clearly. Curator: And maybe that visual strength lies in how the artist uses the visual language available at the time to reinforce, question, and engage these public discussions happening in society, specifically to provide art programs to artists of every race and gender. Editor: Looking at it again with this in mind, there’s a strength in this simplification of forms, giving everyday moments this weight and importance. It really demonstrates how effective symbols are to invoke both cultural memory and individual experience. Curator: Cooke really created an impactful print through her bold visual choices, highlighting themes of labor and community, even today. Editor: A testament to the enduring power of simple but evocative iconography.