Trend in U.S. art, originating с 1930, toward treating themes of social protest
poverty, political corruption, labour-management conflict
in a naturalistic manner.
The movement was stimulated in part by the Ash Can school , the Great Depression , and the New Deal 's arts patronage programs, including the WPA Federal Art Project . Works in this vein include Ben Shahn 's Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti (1931–32) and William Gropper's The Senate (1935).