Children at Play

Ralph Chessé

Sometimes called "Playground," this mural (Chessé's only fresco) is one of the most unusual in the Tower. The proportion of the figures greatly emphasizes the heads; this mirrors the style of itinerant portrait painters who traveled the U.S. in the late 19th Century, carrying pre-done "bodies" onto which they painted the head of a customer's child. All the children but two are also playing alone — not the way kids play. This and the lack of smiles on the children has led some to claim this was a political statement by Chessé about the effects of the Depression on children. However, that's not the case, according to interviews with Chessé and his son Bruce (that's Bruce's older brother with the airplane, and his mother above). Because one of his main arts was as a puppeteer and he entertained children, Chessé was given the subject of a playground for his work. But he didn't really get along with children that well (despite being a father) and so didn't have a lot of first-hand knowledge of playgrounds. He also intended to depict them playing together and smiling - they were doing both in his original sketch for the mural - but it was rejected and a more somber one took its place. He also is said to have found painting on the curved surface of this wall extremely challenging.