“The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers” is a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s aim is to take a look at the way America has shown workers in art through history.
As you go through the exhibit, you see workers in many mediums including paintings, photographs, sculptures, and even video. Child laborers, slaves, women, men, and people of all races are included from the art of people like Winslow Homer and Dorothea Lange. There’s a print from early American days all the way to modern Subway workers.
The exhibit is just past the American Presidents exhibit, which makes for an interesting contrast- the men who guide our nation versus the people who keep it running. The Sweat of Their Faces takes up several rooms with lots of space between the pieces of art, so it doesn’t feel cluttered. This is a great exhibit if you want a quick stop with an interesting history lesson on your way through the Portrait Gallery.
The exhibit is open November 3, 2017- September 3, 2018, on the second floor of the National Portrait Gallery. It was curated by Dorothy Moss and David Ward.
-Rachel Meyer
