Standing Room Only c. 1930s

Leonard Pytlak created “Standing Room Only” using a printmaking technique. Look at this muted palette of blues and browns, and see how the blocky shapes come together! The artist has built the scene in layers, pressing each color to the page. The paint is thin, not trying to be fancy, but instead trying to express something about a moment in time. I imagine Pytlak wanting to show the way people come together to share something—maybe a piece of art, a view, or just each other’s company. There's something melancholic about how these figures are painted—slightly anonymous. The composition is a bit wonky and a little awkward, but that's how life is! All art is a conversation and Pytlak is talking to other painters, like Edward Hopper. It’s like he’s saying, “Hey, I see you, and I feel that too.” It’s not about perfection, but more about capturing a feeling. That's what makes art real, right?