William Gropper: Artist of the People

William Gropper (1897–1977), political cartoonist, painter, and printmaker, was a leading social realist artist of his time. His cartoons and caricatures appeared in mainstream publications such as Vanity Fair and the New York Tribune, as well as more radical papers like the New Masses, Rebel Worker, and Morning Freiheit. His socially conscious work went beyond simple demonstrations of support for the worker to the condemnation of racism, fascism, anti-Semitism, and governmental corruption. The skilled artist employed his fluid graphic line and sharp wit to expose universal human concerns—from freedom and democracy to human rights—concerns that are deeply baked into the socio-political discourse today.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition William Gropper: Artist of the People, on view at The Phillips Collection, October 17, 2024-January 5, 2025, the first exhibition dedicated to Gropper in Washington, DC.

Edited by Elsa Smithgall, Chief Curator, The Phillips Collection. With a conversation between collector Harvey Ross and Elsa Smithgall, and an article written by Gropper, translated from Yiddish by Beata Kasiarz. Important new scholarship by scholars Allan Lichtman, Distinguished Professor of History, American University; Norman Kleeblatt, independent curator and critic; and Lauren Strauss, Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Jewish Studies, American University.