Lloyd Moylan created several lithographs for the Federal Art Project, which were widely distributed (see Untitled (Dinnertime) for an explanation of lithography as a “high volume” method of production) and which subsequently came to be are known by different titles. The Breadwinner is not only the most documented title for the print seen here, it is also the most apt. While Moylan mostly turned his artistic attention, not without prejudice, to Native American cultures, The Breadwinner looks at social roles and hierarchy in the animal kingdom. A rooster stands with puffed chest, his gaze directed at the viewer, while a hen, gaze averted, bows to pick up a piece of feed—presumably provided by her companion—in this depiction of stereotypical gender roles.
