Born into bitter poverty in a Jewish family in Russia in the time of the pogroms, Soyer became one of America’s great realist painters, best known for his haunting depictions of the faces of the Depression. Here’s what he said about his life as an artist: "I’ve painted for a very long time, but I don’t get tired or bored by it. I love to do it. If I don’t paint one day, I don’t feel well physically or mentally. My eyes bother me when I don’t paint.But when I paint a full day, I feel satisfied and everything seems to be OK. I would never stop, never retire. I can’t see how people can retire; I can’t understand that." The same drive seems to have run in the family. "My brother Moses died while he was painting. He was actually working on a painting, and the last words he said were to the model, “Phoebe, don’t frown.” Then he died. He worked to the very last minute." [http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/dreamgates/2010/11/the-drive-to-create.html#LwPtVpKVtLYVSsFK.99]