Maine Lobsterman 1945

This print, Maine Lobsterman, was made by Stow Wengenroth. With lithographic crayon on paper, he has created an almost photographic, monochromatic scene. The water, rendered with hatching marks, comes alive with the swells and movement of the ocean. Notice the almost symmetrical composition with the large rock formation balanced by the lobsterman in his boat on the lower left. Wengenroth uses a combination of hatching and cross-hatching to create depth and shadow, giving the image a textural quality. The dark, dense lines of the rock contrast with the softer, more fluid strokes of the water. It’s almost like he’s taken cues from the old masters, like Durer, but given it a modern, American twist. Think of other artists like Edward Hopper who captured the loneliness and isolation of modern life, and you get a sense of what Wengenroth is exploring here. The beauty of art is its ambiguity, its invitation to see the world through another's eyes.