Handball in Brooklyn c. 1935 - 1943

Editor: So, we're looking at "Handball in Brooklyn," an etching by David Feinstein, created sometime between 1935 and 1943. There’s a really intimate feel to it, like a captured moment. A group watches these two figures playing handball...it feels like a very social scene. What catches your eye? Curator: What strikes me is how Feinstein uses this everyday scene, likely from a working-class neighborhood, to explore the role of public space during the Depression era. The Ashcan School influence is quite visible here. These artists wanted to depict the real lives of ordinary people. Editor: So, the choice of subject matter itself has social significance? Curator: Precisely. By focusing on handball, a readily accessible and communal activity, Feinstein elevates the ordinary. Also consider the institutional forces at play - during the New Deal, art programs encouraged artists to depict American life, reinforcing the value of the common person and simple pastimes. This helped promote a unified national identity through art during a period of great social and economic uncertainty. Do you notice any other indicators? Editor: It does feel almost like a constructed performance. With a group in the background seemingly onlooking the whole match as well, it creates more depth in its intended message. Curator: I agree. Feinstein transforms what might seem a spontaneous street game into a staged representation of community, reflecting how public art served a political purpose by visually celebrating shared experiences and common identities in that specific time. What will you take away from today's session? Editor: I learned to read seemingly simple subjects as complex social narratives. It's been enlightening to learn how this art served as documentation for history. Curator: Indeed. Art shapes how we understand the world, making historical inquiry into even seemingly mundane pieces essential.