Home Front 1943

Florence Elliott White McClung made this lithograph print called 'Home Front' at some point during World War II. It shows a rural scene, likely in the United States, and it connects ideas of agricultural production to patriotic duty. The visual codes here are interesting. We see a farmer working the land with a tractor, and his crops seem to stretch for miles, bathed in divine light. In the foreground, we see planted rows, and in the background, harvested stocks are lined up next to a convoy of trucks bearing American flags. This image links the hard work of American farmers to the war effort. During this period, America saw a huge shift in its social and economic structure with the men fighting at war and women taking over their work in factories and farms. McClung's print suggests that agriculture can be seen as a crucial contribution to the country's victory in the war. To understand this artwork better, you might want to research the history of agriculture in the USA during the 1940s and the role of women in the workforce at that time. Understanding the social context helps us interpret the meaning of this image as something very specific to its time.