The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 21, 2025

The Bread Line

1926

Max Kalish

(American, born Russian Empire [now Lithuania], 1891–1945)
America
bronze
Overall: 37.2 x 50.2 x 23.5 cm (14 5/8 x 19 3/4 x 9 1/4 in.)
Gift of Lulie and Gordon Gund 2015.161
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The artist is buried in Mayfield Cemetery, Cleveland.

Description

Sculptor Max Kalish described his motivation behind creating The Bread Line: "My interest in making this group came to me gradually through years of concern with the question of unemployment and poverty." The sculpture's six figures were modeled separately, then arranged together to make the final composition.
  • Dr. Edward Peterka [1879–1953], Cleveland, OH
    George Gund II [1888–1966], Beachwood, OH, to Gordon Gund
    ?–2015
    Gordon Gund [b. 1939], Princeton, NJ, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2015–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Grand Central Art Galleries, New York, 1933.
    Koerner & Wood Galleries, Cleveland, March 1–15, 1926.
    Paris, 1926 [unconfirmed].
    Detroit, 1926 [unconfirmed].
    Chicago, 1926 [unconfirmed].
    Pittsburgh, 1926 [unconfirmed].
  • {{cite web|title=The Bread Line|url=false|author=Max Kalish|year=1926|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2015.161