Fruit in the Rain

Artist: Joseph Hirsch, American, 1910–1981
Associated: Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration, Washington, D.C., active 1935–1943
Date: about 1938
Material: Watercolor over graphite, with scraped highlights
made in: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Classification: Drawings & watercolors
Collection: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 14 1/4 x 17 7/8 in. (36.2 x 45.4 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 290:1943

NOTES

A fire hydrant’s pop of yellow echoes the bright fruit arrayed for sale in the cart. Joseph Hirsch worked in the easel and mural divisions of the Federal Art Project in Philadelphia, producing imagery that spoke to the immediate social concerns of the day. With a perspective slightly above and behind the figure, he emphasizes the effort and labor involved. Hirsch’s handling of watercolor, a portable medium that demanded a surprising level of control from the artist, is visible in the subtle reflections in the water.

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