Broke, Baby Sick, and Car Trouble! (1937) by Dorothea Lange

The artwork titled “Broke, Baby Sick, and Car Trouble!” by Dorothea Lange, created in 1937, is a prominent example of the Social Realism movement and belongs to the genre of photography. In this poignant depiction, a woman is seen crouching beside an infant who is sitting on a blanket on the roadside. The background features a heavily-loaded vehicle, likely filled with all the possessions of the family, indicating they are possibly migrants or displaced individuals. This black-and-white photograph powerfully captures the despair and challenges faced during the Great Depression, reflecting the larger socio-economic struggles of that era. The stark and arid surroundings, combined with the distressed state of the car and the subjects, evoke a strong emotional response and underline the themes of hardship and survival central to Social Realism.