Wealth of the Nation

In 1939–40, this building was erected to serve as the headquarters for the newly created Social Security Board. The U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts commissioned artist Seymour Fogel to decorate the Independence Avenue lobby. Considering both the purpose of the building and the location of the murals, Fogel intended the paintings to illustrate “the forces that make for national social security” and to function as an introduction to the other artistic material in the building.

In Wealth of the Nation, Fogel represented the elements of American economic success that would lift the country out of the Depression and provide security to its citizens: scientific research, industry, and construction. On the left, a suited man sits before test tubes and beakers, gazing through a microscope and taking notes on his observations. In the center of the painting, an architect studies blueprints while a shirtless laborer behind him controls the switch of an industrial machine. On the right, construction workers stride toward their job site, indicated by the red girders in the background.

Although the mural divides American laborers by indicating a distinction between white-collar and blue-collar workers (note the former are fully clothed and facing the viewer, while the latter are partly unclothed and facing away from the viewer), the painting nonetheless emphasizes American unity and strength in scientific research, industrial power, planning, and construction—all elements that would propel the country out of the Depression and toward prosperity.