Circus, Horses and Rider

A prominent figure of the expressionist movement that developed in Boston in the 1940s, Bloom established his reputation with depictions of religious and mystical rituals, brightly colored corpses, and fantastic landscapes. This early drawing was done while Bloom was enrolled in the New Deal's Works Progress Administration during the second half of the 1930s. Artists on the WPA were encouraged to depict scenes from American life, including popular entertainment such as the circus. Done from imagination, the drawing reveals Bloom's early predilection for dramatic compositions.