The Subway (1950) George Tooker (1920-2011)

George Tooker’s 1950 painting, The Subway, takes as its theme the alienating nature of modern life. The central figure in the painting is a middle-aged woman in a bright red dress whose face reveals sadness and anxiety. She seems to feel threatened by the men around her, who all look shifty or unsavory. The eyes of the viewer are drawn to the woman in the red dress because the walls and railings create a fan-like effect around her.