Scrub Woman

Gustave Hildebrand’s sculpture Scrub Woman portrays an anonymous woman on her knees scouring a floor. Hildebrand brings attention to labor that often is “invisible” to others. By recognizing and honoring her hard work, he also pays tribute to all working women. Hildebrand’s work coincides with President Franklin Roosevelt passing the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a move that placed protective limits on hours and wages. The Equal Rights Amendment, another legislative effort of the era that would have affected this Scrub Woman, was first presented to Congress in 1923 to guarantee equal rights for women, and remains unratified to this day.

Gustave Hildebrand studied at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. He later moved to Michigan where he worked as an easel painter, sculptor, teacher, and lecturer. As a sculptor, he worked in a variety of mediums including plaster, wood and ceramics. In the 1930s and 1940s, he received commissions from the Federal Art Project to create sculptures in ceramic and wood. In 1941 he completed an FAP commission for nautical-themed wood carvings for the Detroit Naval Armory, also known as the R. Thornton Brodhead Armory. Hildebrand also completed sculptural commissions for the Michigan School for the Blind and the McGregor Public Library.