Skip to Content
Today Open today 11–8

See-Saw, Class Systems

A work made of color lithograph on off-white wove paper.
© 2019 Estate of James Rosenquist/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

Image actions

  • A work made of color lithograph on off-white wove paper.

Date:

1968

Artist:

James Rosenquist (American, born 1933)
published by Richard Feigen Graphics
printed by Mourlot, NYC

About this artwork

This lithograph was created on the cusp of the radical social changes taking place in the United States during the late 1960s. The composition is dominated by the face of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley at the center. A word puzzle constructed from variations of the words upper, middle, and lower is printed on either side of the portrait as a reference to class systems. The scowling portrait of Daley and the image’s wordplay suggest the catalysts for this work—riots sparked by protests during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, as well as race relations and the war on poverty in general.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

James Rosenquist

Title

See-Saw, Class Systems

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1968

Medium

Color lithograph on off-white wove paper

Dimensions

61.1 × 87.8 cm (24 1/16 × 34 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Kaye and Howard Haas in memory of Albert Haas

Reference Number

2003.267

Copyright

© 2019 Estate of James Rosenquist/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share