Hat Box c. 1939

Editor: This is "Hat Box," a watercolor and drawing made around 1939 by Joseph Rothenberg. It’s whimsical! The surface of the hat is covered with birds, branches, and little decorative flourishes. How would you interpret the piece? Curator: It’s interesting to consider this piece in its historical context. The late 1930s were a time of great economic and political uncertainty, leading up to the Second World War. Did the artist create this as escapism? Decoration often becomes more valued at times of austerity, an embrace of beauty amidst grim reality. What do you make of its seemingly commercial application? Editor: Commercial application? Curator: Well, consider the title and subject: "Hat Box." Was this a design *for* a hat box, or a drawing *of* a hat box? Was it intended as an advertisement or a template? Was this artist employed designing decorative packaging and other merchandise, perhaps as part of the WPA's Federal Art Project? The placement of the signature suggests it could have been mass produced. Editor: Oh, I see. It completely changes how you look at it. I had assumed it was just a decorative art piece, not a design with potential use. So, the artistic value is intertwined with this commercial possibility? Curator: Absolutely. It also brings into question the value society places on craft versus “fine art.” Historically, decorative work like this wasn't seen as serious art because it had a function beyond just being looked at. What do you think – is it high art, or "merely" decoration? Editor: It challenges that boundary, I think. It's both aesthetically pleasing *and* functional, at least potentially. I never considered how societal pressures can define art’s meaning! Curator: Precisely. Seeing art within the culture it was produced encourages a more nuanced understanding. I am left wondering if there are any extant hat boxes created using Rothenberg's design.