Flour Barrel 1935 - 1942

Here we have Wilbur M Rice's watercolor painting of a flour barrel. Rice was an American artist born in 1909. Though seemingly simple, this barrel speaks volumes about labor, gender, and the everyday lives of those who relied on it. In a time when domestic labor was a gendered expectation, this flour barrel likely held the product of men's labor as farmers, and its contents were probably used by women in their role as domestic providers. The barrel represents a connection to the land and the rhythms of rural life. Its presence evokes the hardships and the heart of the Great Depression, when the painting was made, a time when the simple staples became symbols of survival. Consider the dignity in the humble object. It embodies the identities of those who toiled to produce and use the flour, and reflects the shared history of community resilience.