George Biddle (American, 1885-1973)

George Biddle was an American painter, muralist, and lithographer, best known for his social realism and combat art. Biddle’s work engaged with the human condition, in particular the social injustices he encountered in his journeys across the United States and abroad. During a 1928 trip to Mexico with artist Diego Rivera, Biddle was inspired by the political activism of the Mexican Muralists and sought to bring the tradition home. A childhood friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he played a major role in establishing the Federal Art Project, which employed artists under the Works Progress Administration. During World War II, he was asked to create and chair the War Department Advisory Committee that would send artists to the frontlines. Biddle traveled with his unit to Europe and Africa, making watercolors and drawings of what he saw.