Depression-era lithograph depicting a hobo sleeping.

One of America's greatest twentieth century social and satirical artists, William Gropper studied painting and printmaking under George Bellows at the Ferrer School in San Francisco (1913-14), at the National Academy of Design (1914) and at the New York School of Fine Art (1915-18). He was first employed as a staff artist for The New York Tribune (1919-21) and later for the New York World (1925-27). During this time Gropper also contributed many drawings to Leftist publications such as 'The New Masses' and 'The Liberator'. By the mid 1920's William Gropper had established himself as a major satirical artist and lithography became one of his most potent weapons for launching his attacks against big business and big politics. Some of Gropper's lithographs and etchings from the 1960's and 1970's explore business life and culture in a less satirical, more gentle manner.