‘The Sweat of Their Face’: Portraits of the American Worker, Through the Centuries

Work ethic is a core value of America. It is the fuel that propels the tenacity of the American dream. The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers, a book that accompanies a coming exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., showcases a multifaceted collection of hardworking Americans that represent social history across centuries of art.

Artists such as Dorothea Lange, Winslow Homer, and Elizabeth Catlett depict the shifting landscape of America; from steel workers to child and slave laborers and miners. In addition, the National Portrait Gallery, which will open the exhibit on Nov. 3, analyzes working-class subjects as they appear in artworks by artists including Shauna Frischkorn, Lewis Hine, and others.

This book is visually compelling exploration of the history of work itself through its impact on the men and women from the 18th century through industrialization. On this Labor Day, a look at the works depicting the faces, lives, and hands that built America.

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170831-Mine-Americas-coal-rockwell_fp1ons — Mine America's Coal, Rockwell, 1944
Norman Rockwell Museum, Lenox, Massachusetts

170831-ROGER-SONSINI_l9azqm — Roger, Sonsini, 2011
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. © John Sonsini

170831-Cutting-Squash_splmnl — Cutting Squash
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the artist in honor of Mr. Richard C. Colton, Jr., © Gustave Blance III

170831-Migrant-Worker-Rothstein_zmlsjb — Migrant Worker, Rothstein, 1940
Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts; gift of Edith Davis Siegel (Class of 1938)

170831-Riveter-Shahn_qub3v6 — The Riveter, Shahn, 1938
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

170831-American-Gothic-Paris_iwgqcu — American Gothic, Parks, 1942
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C; Corcoran Collection (The Gordon Parks Collection) Courtesy of and © The Gordon Parks Foundation

170831-Kiernan-Subway-sandwich-artist_fpunjb — Kieran, Subway Sandwich Artist, Frischkorn, 2014
Courtesy of the artist © Shauna Frischkorn

170831-THE-GARDNER_cckhfn — The Gardener (Melissa with Bob Marley Shirt) AHERN 1997 2007
Courtesy of the artist and Alexander and Bonin, New York City © John Ahearn. Photo by: Joerg Lohse

170831-Farn-couple-at-work-johnson_dti7xz — Farm Couple at Work, Johnson, 1942
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C; gift of the Harmon Foundation

‘The Sweat of Their Face’: Portraits of the American Worker, Through the Centuries

To honor Labor Day, a look at the companion book to a major new National Portrait Gallery exhibit of the core value that drives the American dream.

Kelly Caminero