Moses Soyer (1899-1974) was a significant figure in the American realist movement at the beginning of the 20th century. Known primarily for his drawings and oil paintings, Soyer had his first solo exhibition in 1926 and was awarded a scholarship enabling him to travel to Europe to study drawing.

During the 1930s, when the United States was at the height of the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration, a part of the New Deal, commissioned Soyer to paint murals in government buildings throughout the country. Soyer's art emphasized the depiction of the natural attitudes, thoughts, and gestures of individuals in performing everyday tasks.

After World War II, as many artists delved into Abstract Expressionism and Action Painting, Soyer continued to paint within the realist canon and achieved recognition for his work. He was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1963 and in 1966 to the National Institute of Arts and Letters.