Cotton Ginning Time 1943

Mildred Bernice Nungester made this lithograph of ‘Cotton Ginning Time’ with pencil and crayon sometime in the mid-20th century. I can only imagine the artist, caught in the midst of a long, hot summer. The print is rendered in shades of gray, and there's such a tangible sense of place. You can almost feel the sun beating down on the workers, as the mule stands patiently awaiting its next command. Nungester’s scene captures the realities of labor but also moments of stillness, like the figure reading under the shade of a wooden support. The marks are so deliberate, each line carefully placed to create texture and depth. It makes me think about the legacy of American Regionalist painters, like Thomas Hart Benton, who sought to capture the spirit of the American heartland. There's such honesty here, such respect for the everyday lives of ordinary people. In her own way, Nungester is part of that same conversation, offering her unique perspective on a time and place that is both familiar and foreign.