Citizen 1952

Benton Spruance made this lithograph, Citizen, without a specified date, approaching the stone with what looks like crayons, pencils, and a real feel for mark-making. Look closely, and you'll see the velvety blacks and the way he scratches back into them, creating highlights and textures, a real process. It's all about the push and pull, the layering of tones, the way he builds up the image from dark to light. There is an amazing contrast between the dense foreground figures and the ethereal figures in the middle ground. Each figure is rendered with attention to shading and form, yet the overall effect is one of dynamic movement and emotional intensity. It reminds me of some of the work of Kathe Kollwitz, who also understood the power of black and white to convey complex emotions and social commentary. Spruance shows us that art isn't just about capturing a likeness; it's about expressing something deeper, something that words can't quite capture.