Tom Mooney

Tom Mooney was a labor organizer who was convicted of the 1916 San Francisco Preparedness Day bombing that killed ten people. However, soon after his sentencing, evidence surfaced that proved his innocence. A national campaign arose to free him, and socially conscious artists, such as Ben Shahn, created paintings and prints to increase awareness of his wrongful incarceration. Despite their efforts, it was not until 1939, after twenty-three years in prison, that Mooney was finally released. George Biddle created this sympathetic portrait of Mooney during his imprisonment. Rather than presenting the man in relation to his alleged crime, Biddle focuses purely on his humanity. His soulful eyes and calm expression implore the viewer for compassion. Biddle surely chose to execute this portrait as a lithograph, since the reproducibility of the medium enabled him to spread the message of Mooney’s innocence to the masses.