The artwork titled “Cotton Pickers” was created by William H. Johnson in the year 1940. It falls under the art movements of Expressionism and Social Realism and is classified as a genre painting.
The artwork depicts a group of figures engaged in the laborious activity of picking cotton in a field. The figures are rendered with expressive lines and vibrant colors typical of the Expressionist movement, while the theme reflects the harsh realities and societal issues of the time, in line with Social Realism. The scene includes individuals bending over to harvest the cotton, their postures conveying the physical toil involved in their work. The landscape in the background features a simplistic portrayal of trees, a distant house, and an animal-drawn cart, suggesting a rural setting. The color palette includes earthy tones of green and brown, contrasted with the brighter hues of the cotton and clothing, emphasizing the contrast between the natural environment and the labor of the people.
