The Art of the (New) Deal

Critics wrote the work off as kitsch for the masses. But a set of murals celebrating Social Security—now threatened with destruction—show that such sweeping judgments went too far. By Judith Shulevitz From the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠May 2026 issue⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you ⁠⁠subscribe⁠⁠. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news: ⁠⁠http://theatlantic.com/listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices