Industrials

Held in private collection

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Growing out of the impressionist style, his industrials were oil painting that reflected the exploding industrial age. Simon found abstract freedom in this genre, living in the industrial city of Philadelphia, he spent quite a few years immersed in this style.

The Great Depression began in 1929. By that time Simon had become a well-recognized American artist. During that time, he applied for and was granted a position with President’s Roosevelt’s work program known as the WPA for the arts. Simon was selected as one of the top fifty artists from around the United States to enter a painting competition for the mural to be hung in the United States Post Office in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, he did not win but took second place; this certainly gave him some bragging rights.

The painting is a mockup for the contest presentation. It still hangs in the Brigantine New Jersey grammar school.

At one point the Pennsylvania Museum of Art and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. had one of the industrials in their “permanent collection”

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