History of a Picture No. 1: Before the Jury

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 first part, a group of judges assesses a picture. Although one holds a notepad and another crouches before the picture, the rows of frames leaning against the wall in the background suggest the men work quickly. The man in the middle stares directly outward, shifting the judgment from the framed picture onto the viewer.”