The machine dominates the figure in Man and Machine, suggesting that mechanized industry overwhelms human workers. This sentiment provoked many political and social discussions about labor in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s.

Ida Abelman was born in New York City and received her art training there. As an artist with the Federal Art Project, she documented the effects of industry on American society. She was also a member of the American Artists Congress, a political organization formed by artists in 1936 to unite in their common interests, such as protesting war and Fascism, or advocating on behalf of the working class.