Hugo Gellert

Century of the Common Man

1943

A stylized print depicting two standing men and two seated women with three children, rendered in bold red, blue, and black colors. The man on the left holds a pitchfork, and the group appears to be a collective representation of a family or community. The artwork has a signature in the bottom right corner.

Not on view

Date
1943

Classification
Prints

Medium
Screenprint and lithograph

Dimensions
Sheet (open): 20 × 32 in. (50.8 × 81.3 cm) Sheet (folded): 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm) Image (irregular): 15 3/16 × 13 in. (38.6 × 33 cm)

Accession number
2013.62.14

Edition
Edition unknown | Edition possibly 54

Publication
Published by International Workers Order

Credit line
Purchase, with funds from the Print Committee

Rights and reproductions
© Estate of Hugo Gellert, courtesy Mary Ryan Gallery, New York

API
artworks/43452

Part of a series:
Century of the Common Man: Two Speeches by Henry A. Wallace
20 works

A stylized print featuring a man and a child with red and blue tones against a red background. The man, looking pensive and slightly downward, wears a blue suit, while the child gazes at him. In the foreground, there's a table with a glass of milk, a blue knife, and a plate with grapes and apples, all resting on a vibrant red tablecloth. The artwork has a bold, graphic quality with a limited color palette.

Illustration of a baby standing between two large red hands, holding an olive branch in one hand and a flame in the other, against a blue background. The artwork has a signature at the bottom right corner.

Illustration of a menacing figure with bull-like features, wearing a military uniform with a swastika armband, standing over a broken figure spilling coins. The bull figure's hands are dripping with blood, symbolizing violence and oppression.

A vintage book cover with the title "CENTURY OF THE COMMON MAN" featuring two speeches by Henry A. Wallace, Vice-President of the United States, with silk screen prints by Hugo Gellert, published by International Workers Order in New York.

A vibrant propaganda poster featuring a handshake between two large, muscular hands, one with a red star on the cuff and the other with a peace symbol. Above the handshake, a small figure in a military uniform is depicted cheering with raised fists against a blue background.

A stylized print featuring a muscular figure in blue with a red glove and cap, standing above a blue sea with grey submarines. The background is split with a yellow top half. The figure appears to be dropping coins or metal pieces into the water, creating ripples around the submarines.

A stylized print depicting a group of solemn-faced individuals seated around a table, with a prominent blue and red color scheme. In the center of the table lies a pair of pliers, a nail, and a bolt, suggesting a theme of labor or industry. The background features a simple representation of mountains under a blue sky. The artwork has a signature at the bottom right corner.

Exhibitions

Where We Are: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1900–1960

Apr 28, 2017–June 2, 2019

Installation photography

Installation view of Where We Are: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1900–1960 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, April 28, 2017–June 2, 2019). From left to right: Jared French, State Park, 1946; Paul Cadmus, Finistere, 1952; Paul Cadmus, The Bath, 1951; Hugo Gellert, Learning to Think and Work Together, 1943; Hugo Gellert, Modern Science for All, 1943; Hugo Gellert, Title page, 1943; Hugo Gellert, The Four Freedoms, 1943; Hugo Gellert, Free Man’s Duties (#2), 1943; Hugo Gellert, Free Man’s Duties (#1), 1943; Hugo Gellert, Century of the Common Man, 1943. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

From the exhibition Where We Are: Selections from the Whitney’s Collection, 1900–1960

Hugo Gellert
87 works in the collection, 3 exhibitions

View artist