My Working Shoes

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Date

1940

Description

1940, pencil and watercolor on paper.   Henry DiSpirito felt a strong pull to the arts and desired to be an artist full-time, but it was many years before his dream became a reality. For most of his life, he worked as a stonemason/bricklayer to support his family, and carved and painted in the evenings and on weekends. This work represents his two worlds: the tough, well-worn work boots of the stonemason, depicted lovingly and artistically in delicate pencil and watercolor. Although it does not depict a person, the work is a self-portrait.

Type

Image

Region

Central New York, New York State

Era

The Great Depression and WW II

Topic

Immigration, Labor

Repository

New York State Museum

Identifier

H2017.34.26_Dispirito

Source

New York State Museum

Rights

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