Luce Foundation Center for American Art
Painting: 20th century: The Solidity of the Road to Metaphor and Memory
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The Solidity of the Road to Metaphor and Memory 1934 Misha Reznikoff oil on canvas 30 1/2 x 40 3/8 in. (77.5 x 102.6 cm.) Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Peter and Michael Reznikoff 1993.20 |
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The inscription “Neutrality Agreement” on the back of this painting implies that the image is about America’s involvement in Europe’s growing conflicts. It shows three strange figures, shaking hands across a train track. The person on the left thinks he is holding the hand of the figure directly opposite, when he is actually making a deal with the headless creature behind. This, together with the train tracks that lead nowhere, suggests that the “agreement” is a farce and holds no true meaning. Misha Reznikoff saw firsthand the devastation and misery of World War I during his childhood in Russia. This cast of surreal characters suggests that he saw no sincerity in the “deals” made between world leaders.
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