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Depression Era New York City - Journey Back in Time - American Scene

Creator: ARNOLD FRIEDMAN
Offered by: Robert Funk Fine Art

Description
This is a painting about a man who travels back into the past and engages with a different stage in his life.
Arnold Friedman worked at the New York City Post Office for four decades, and after his retirement, he returned to that bleak world to paint realistic depictions of the regimented life the workers endured each day. In the present work, "Leaving on Schedule," the artist depicts mailmen in almost military formation as they perform their repetitive end-of-day tasks. He does not show any faces except that of the supervisor. The mailmen are cloaked in the same uniform. They are not characterized as individuals but reduced to basic shapes. Their heavy over-the-shoulder mailbags symbolize the weight people have to bear. To reinforce this concept of bearing-the-weight a scale is shown in use. Friedman leaves a vast space in the foreground empty to imply the emptiness of the mailmen's lives.
This is a homecoming for Friedman. He is looking back at his life and assessing it in cold, hard terms. Moreover, Freidman is making a statement about the hardship of people's lives. The painting was done during the Depression, and the mailman represents most of us.
Arnold Aaron Friedman (American, 1874-1946), "Leaving on Schedule", Oil on Wood Panel, circa 1935, signed, and faintly inscribed "New York P.O. STA. Y" lower right, paper label and Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc. label to verso, giltwood frame. Image: 11.5" H x 26.5" W; frame: 15.25" H x 30.25" W. Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, 20 June 1985, Lot 229. Hirschl & Adler, New York

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Origin:	United States, New York
Period:	1920-1949
Materials:	Oil on Wood Panel
Condition:	Good. Thin layer yellow varnish - presents quite well for the age of the work Frame a few chips in gilt Age-appropriate wear areas of craquelure.
Creation Date:	1935
Styles / Movements:	Modernism, Realism, Ashcan
Incollect Reference #:	805459

Dimensions

W.	27 in;	H.	12 in;
W.	68.58 cm;	H.	30.48 cm;

Message from Seller:

Robert Funk Fine Art in Miami offers an eclectic collection shaped by 45 years of experience, blending art with commercial perspectives. For inquiries or art advisory services, contact Robert Funk at decoypoet@yahoo.com or 305.857.0521.