Maurice Becker (1889– August 28, 1975) was a

radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...

political artist best known for his work in the 1910s and 1920s for such publications as ''

The Masses ''The Masses'' was a graphically innovative American magazine of socialist politics published monthly from 1911 until 1917, when federal prosecutors brought charges against its editors for conspiring to obstruct conscription in the United Stat ...

'' and '' The Liberator''.

Biography

Early years

Maurice Becker was born in Nizhni-Novgorod, Russia, the son of ethnic

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

parents. The family emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1892, moving to the Jewish community of the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...

of New York City. His older sister Helen Tamiris was a modern dance pioneer and his brother Sam Becker was a sculptor. The young Maurice took night classes in bookkeeping and art while working days as a sign painter. He worked as an artist for the

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

from 1914 to 1915, and for the Scripps newspapers from 1915 to 1918. He also contribute artwork on a freelance basis to a broad range of contemporary publications, including ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper (publisher), Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many su ...

,'' ''

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

'' magazine, and ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

.''

Radical art

Maurice Becker is best remembered as an illustrator for

magazines, most famously for the New York political and artistic magazine ''The Masses,'' to which he began to contribute in 1911. He married Dorothy Baldwin, an active Socialist, in 1918. That same year he became a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

to American participation in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He fled to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

to avoid the draft. He was arrested upon his return to the United States in 1919 and was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor, of which he served 4 months at

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

prior to commutation of his sentence. Becker was a frequent contributor to the radical press, publishing his art in such periodicals as ''Revolt,'' '' The Toiler,'' ''New Solidarity,'' '' The Blast,'' '' Survey Graphic,'' ''

The New York Call The ''New York Call'' was a socialism, socialist daily newspaper published in New York City from 1908 through 1923. The ''Call'' was the second of three English-language dailies affiliated with the Socialist Party of America, following the ''Chic ...

.'' and ''

The New Masses ''New Masses'' (1926–1948) was an American Marxist magazine closely associated with the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). It was the successor to both '' The Masses'' (1911–1917) and ''The Liberator'' (1918–1924). ''New Masses'' was later merge ...

.'' Becker's work, which often made use of the muted tones of graphite or charcoal, was likewise generally softer in political tone than the more hard-edged and biting work of his peers, who included

Art Young Arthur Henry Young (January 14, 1866 – December 29, 1943) was an American cartoonist and writer. He is best known for his socialist cartoons, especially those drawn for the left-wing political magazine '' The Masses'' between 1911 and 1917. B ...

, Fred Ellis,

Robert Minor Robert Berkeley "Bob" Minor (15 July 1884 – 26 January 1952), alternatively known as "Fighting Bob", was a Editorial cartoon, political cartoonist, a radical journalist, and, beginning in 1920, a leading member of the Communist Party USA. Ba ...

Hugo Gellert Hugo Gellert (born Hugó Grünbaum, May 3, 1892 December 9, 1985) was a Hungarian- American illustrator and muralist. A committed radical and member of the Communist Party of America, Gellert created much work for political activism in the 192 ...

, and

William Gropper William Gropper (December 3, 1897January 3, 1977) was an American cartoonist, painter, lithographer, and muralist. A committed radical, Gropper is best known for the political work which he contributed to such left wing publications as '' Th ...

. From 1921 to 1923, Becker lived in Mexico, where he worked as an artist for ''El Pulsa de México,'' an English-language magazine. After that time, he dedicated himself to painting full-time, essentially ending his career as a political artist for magazines. He did occasionally contribute art to political publications after that date, however, such as an apolitical drawing entitled "Summer," which ran in the August 1926 issue of ''

.'' Becker remained a political radical throughout his life and was either a member or a

fellow traveler A fellow traveller (also fellow traveler) is a person who is intellectually sympathetic to the ideology of a political organization, and who co-operates in the organization's politics, without being a formal member. In the early history of the Sov ...

of the

Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...

for many years. He visited the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1931. In 1932, Becker Joined The League of Professional Groups for Foster and Ford, officially endorsing Communist candidate

William Z. Foster William Z. Foster (born William Edward Foster; February 25, 1881 – September 1, 1961) was a radical American labor organizer and Communist politician, whose career included serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party USA from 1945 to ...

for President of the United States. In 1936, he likewise endorsed Communist candidate

Earl Browder Earl Russell Browder (May 20, 1891 – June 27, 1973) was an American politician, spy for the Soviet Union, communist activist and leader of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA). Browder was the General Secretary of the CP ...

as a member of the Committee of Professional Groups for Browder and Ford. His name appeared on the letterhead of the Artists' Front to Win the War, a mass organization closely linked to the Communist Party, and he was a signatory to the call for formation of the American Artists' Congress, a party-backed initiative.HUAC, ''Appendix – Part IX,'' pp. 574, 1075. Maurice Becker died at the Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania in Scranton.

Footnotes

External links

Smithsonian Institution
Maurice Becker Papers

Maurice Becker

Marxists Internet Archive, www.marxists.org/
Two Becker exhibition catalogs from the 1940s
available as a full-text PDF from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries {{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Maurice 1889 births 1975 deaths Jewish Russian artists Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States American socialists 20th-century American illustrators American editorial cartoonists American magazine cartoonists Jewish American editorial cartoonists Jewish American painters 20th-century American painters American male painters Industrial Workers of the World members American political artists New York (state) socialists