How did the Great Depression affect Jackson Pollock’s early career?

During the early years of the Great Depression, Jackson Pollock lived in poverty, struggling to support himself after leaving the Art Students League in 1933. He resided with his brothers in New York City during this difficult period.1

His circumstances improved in the fall of 1935 when he was employed as an easel painter by the WPA Federal Art Project. This government-funded initiative, created by the Roosevelt administration to provide work for artists during the economic crisis, offered Pollock essential economic security. Beyond providing financial stability, the project gave him the opportunity to further develop his artistic practice. During this time, his work was heavily influenced by the regionalist style of his former teacher, Thomas Hart Benton, and the expressionist vision of Albert Pinkham Ryder.12