Honoré Sharrer depicted American life with uncanny realism. Her paintings often reflect her deep commitment to the working class, especially women. Sharrer herself was employed as a welder in California and New Jersey during World War II and subsequently joined the labor movement in New York City. To prepare for her paintings, Sharrer would take dozens of photographs of subjects—school children, housewives, farmers—with the look she desired, often posing them for effect.
