Isaac Soyer: Employment Agency (1937)

Isaac Soyer's Employment Agency is a very representative painting of the time. This painting shows the realities of the Great Depression. All four people in the painting seem to be down in spirit and almost giving up on life. The man in the brown suit especially displays these features. It looks as if he is thinking deep about what he has to do to keep food on the table if he does not get a job. The woman also seems to be pondering about something important. She will obviously have the most trouble getting a job as during this time racism was all too common and so was sexism. The painting captures the mood of the time perfectly. I can almost feel the emotions the people in the painting are feeling. I think Soyer painted this to capture a moment and to show future generations this dark time in the world. The man reading the newspaper does not have much of an expression on his face either. I am not sure what he is reading about but judging from the mood of the painting, he is probably reading about how America continues to go on a decline due to the depression. Lastly, these people seem to have been sitting there for a long time judging from the way they are sitting. There are probably very few openings for jobs and there are probably many people seeking jobs. Once again this painting depicts this time period very well.