Anabasis 1957

Benton Spruance made this artwork 'Anabasis' with lithographic ink on stone, and you can almost imagine him working on the stone, wrestling the image out of it. See how he balances the tan with shades of blacks and browns, how he carves figures riding horses, walking with dogs, all traveling onward. I can imagine Spruance's thinking about the rhythm of the line as he's working on the image, making marks that evoke the movement of the crowd, but also capture each figure’s individuality. The lithographic textures give a sense of light and air, as if the procession emerges from the atmosphere itself. Look at the way he scratched the stone to make that jagged sun. Spruance was really into social commentary in his work. His earlier work was figurative and satirical, so this image might be a bit of a departure. But I see a connection in its humanism, a focus on people’s lives. So, let the marks and shapes take you somewhere!