Around the world, at different times, and in different styles, artists have portrayed the struggles of working class people. While there are many ways to tell a story visually, artists often use realism to make these images tangible, to make you feel like you're walking in the shoes of a barge-hauler in Tzarist Russia or a mother wondering how to feed her children during the Great Depression. Social realism may take on many different styles, but the intent is to create empathy with people who may be different than you.
