Harvest Talk
By Charles Wilbert White. (American)
1954.
First Impressions
When I look at this drawing/charcoal drawing, I see two incredibly muscular African Americans working in the fields either holding or fixing a scythe. I notice that the land behind them is very hilly, but also "free." This might be a symbolism for the history of slavery in the United States. Here are two impressively strong African Americans strong from their past and free. It shows that they are hard working and happy and free. The sky is darkish, maybe stormy, to show the strength of the African Americans through their history, and also to make the two men stand out. The two men look fairly happy and they seem to be taking a break.
What I Have Learned
Charles White had a "deep respect for labor" because his father was a railroad and steel worker and his mother was a domestic worker. Harvest Talk is a charcoal and carbon pencil drawing, and it "exemplifies [White's] mature drawing style." In this painting, depicted are "strong, assured manner" figures with "heroic proportions." In addition there is a great emphasis on the large scythe, which "evokes that indomitability of his subjects in the face of hard work." A very interesting symbol and fact is that the presence of the scythe is symbolic, because it is an "emblem often associated with the Soviet union [and] the social realist sensibilities that prevail throughout White's oeuvre." This was probably influenced by White's travels to the U.S.S.R. This also implies that Harvest Talk was effected and inspired by socialist ideas. Light plays a role in this "mural" by emphasizing principle objects and by adding perspective.
The materials that were used to create this work of art are "Charcoal, Wholff's carbon drawing pencil and graphite, with stumping and erasing on ivory illustration board.
Information From: http://www.artic.edu/webspaces/museumstudies/ms242/portfolio17.shtml
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