The artwork, titled “Departure of the Joads from ‘The Grapes of Wrath'”, is a lithograph created in 1939 by Thomas Hart Benton. It is representative of the Regionalism art movement and falls within the genres of poster and literary painting.
The artwork depicts a poignant scene based on John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath”. It portrays the Joad family embarking on their journey away from their desolate, dilapidated home. The figures are rendered with Benton’s characteristic dynamic lines, emphasizing movement and hardship. Each family member carries a sense of gravity and determination as they load their belongings onto an old truck, symbolizing their departure in search of a better life. The dark, swirling clouds and the crescent moon in the background further accentuate the somber and arduous nature of their journey, evoking a powerful narrative of displacement and resilience during the Dust Bowl era.
