The Pinch Of Poverty

1.) What are the major contributing factors to poverty?

Sometimes there's a lack of jobs available, people simply aren't educated enough to find work, pay is bad, and/or people are born into impoverished families.

2.) How does this artist portray poverty (pos/neg light)?

It seems to be rather negative, since the family looks very pathetic, sad, cold, and desperate. This just reinforces the notion that poverty's a bad thing - it just brings in unpleasantness. Although one could argue that the brightness of the flowers carried by the girl signifies that there is a positive aspect to being poor, upon closer examination the entire family just seems rather worn out and generally hopeless.

3.) What is the artist's message about poverty?

Poverty is a bad thing, since it leaves people in bad condition overall, urging them to take desperate measures to get money - for example, the young girl in the painting selling flowers. However, as mentioned before, the bright flowers are like a small beacon of hope - by selling flowers, the girl and perhaps the rest of her family could break free from the bonds of impoverishment. The overall tone of the painting, though, gives the impression that it's going to take a lot of work to do that, and that hope has almost run out anyway.

4.) Identify and explain two elements of art that enhance the message.

The lack of bright colors in the painting gives the impression that poverty is like a shroud of darkness that makes your life miserable and dreary. The placement of the family, all clustered together, shows that they need to support each other in order to stay alive.