[Chris Saper]

Dear Alex,

I have been watching this thread all week, but haven't had the chance until now to start putting down my response into words.

Beyond its original and spectacular execution, I find this painting to be heroic. Sort of a simple honest American worker and family version of the statue of Iwo Jima. Or Rosie the Riveter.

Lines form this old Nana Mouskouri song suddnely popped into my head- I haven't even heard thought of this song for twenty years!

"Sons of true love and sons of regret
All of their sons you cannot forget
Some built the roads, some wrote the poems
Some went to war, some never came home"

This painting belongs on the lobby wall of the US Department of Labor.