History of a Picture No. 2: The Public

Curatorial Overview

“Frank Wilcox submitted this satire of art exhibitions to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s annual May Show, suggesting his sense of humor. In the second part, the picture has been accepted into the show and is receiving mixed reactions from the public. The faces of the well-dressed audience reveal shock, admiration, disgust, and confusion. In a humorous addition, the figure who appears the least pleased is a crying child at the bottom left, juxtaposing—or potentially equating—the highbrow concerns of art with basic human feelings.”