Object number2015.23.3.11

He Watches For You

Artist Fletcher Martin (American, 1904-1979)

CultureAmerican

MediumInk, watercolor, gouache, and graphite on illustration board

DimensionsFramed: 20 x 17 in. (50.8 x 43.18 cm)

Credit LineGift of Susan and Steven Hirsch, class of 1971

Period20th c

Classification(s)

Drawings and Watercolors

Bibliography"Life" Magazine dated December 27, 1943, pages 60-67; 82-83ProvenanceDonovan Martin (son of artist)

Label TextFollowing the global financial crash of 1929, many artists—like their fellow Americans—found themselves destitute and without work. In the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, in concert with Congress, funded a host of public works projects to kickstart the economy. Alongside these grand infrastructure improvement plans, the United States government started a series of programs to employ various tradespeople, including artists. Across the decade, this unprecedented state sponsorship facilitated the production of countless murals, paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, and posters. During World War II, government support largely turned to the war effort. Artists like Fletcher Martin were conscripted to design posters such as He Watches For You, which depicts a sailor who overlooks a stormy sea populated by murky battleships.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu