Carl Gustaf Nelson (1898-1988)

Carl Gustaf Nelson (1898-1988) was born in Sweden, and he died in the United States. He was hired by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression and the era's events strongly impacted his artwork. 


Nelson painted his most famous piece, "Central Park," in 1934. The bright colors of the clothing suggest that people were happy and that the United States was recovering from the Great Depression. However, the leafless trees subtly point out that there were still issues like poverty and discrimination in society. Here it is:

In his watercolor painting, Nelson similarly describes society. The boat serenely floats on calm, blue waters. However, in the background, there are dark, simple buildings, and gray clouds seem to be approaching. Nelson fears that relief from the Great Depression is temporary and that another disaster will strike. He and the rest of society have lost hope of finding security and peace. 

Works Cited

"George Glazer Gallery - Antique Maritime Prints - Carl G. Nelson Sailboats [Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island], Pair of Watercolors." George Glazer Gallery - Antique Maritime Prints - Carl G. Nelson Sailboats [Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island], Pair of Watercolors. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. <http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/sporting/maritime/nelson.html>.

"Search Collections." Carl Gustaf Nelson / American Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. <http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=3511>.

"Search Collections." Central Park by Carl Gustaf Nelson / American Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. <http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=18227>.