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History of a Picture No. 2: The Public
by Frank Wilcox
About the Artwork
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 second part, the picture has been accepted into the show and is receiving mixed reactions from the public. The faces of the well-dressed audience reveal shock, admiration, disgust, and confusion. In a humorous addition, the figure who appears the least pleased is a crying child at the bottom left, juxtaposing—or potentially equating—the highbrow concerns of art with basic human feelings.
Inscriptions
Signed, in black ink, at bottom left: WILCOX
Provenance
1929: Studio of the artist, Cleveland, OH, sold to the Print Club of Cleveland 1929: The Print Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art 1929-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Exhibition history
The May Show: 11th Annual Exhibition of Works by Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 23-June 2, 1929). Humor in Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 13-October 28, 1934). Graphic Humor. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 1-August 29, 1982). Cleveland Art Comes of Age: 1919-1940. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 28-September 10, 1989).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Frank Wilcox (American, 1887–1964)
- Date
- c. 1929
- Medium
- pencil and wash heightened with white
- Dimensions
- Paper: 35.3 x 41.8 cm (13 7/8 x 16 7/16 in.)
- Type
- Drawing
- Classification
- Drawing
- Department
- Drawings
- Credit line
- Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
- Accession no.
- 1929.427
More by Frank Wilcox in museum collections
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00011118
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