Le Metro 1949

Editor: This is John Wilson’s “Le Metro,” created in 1949. It seems to be a painting and drawing combination portraying passengers in the subway. I'm struck by how the abstracted forms, and muted colours almost make everyone anonymous, even though it's a scene filled with people. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, yes, “Le Metro.” I feel that anonymity, too, and then I’m reminded of a sardine can, and I wonder, can visual density express solitude? Think about the post-war era – this was a period of incredible urban growth, and a search for individuality amidst it all, wasn't it? Notice how the artist renders these faces with minimal detail, as types rather than individuals, as cogs maybe, in an urban machine? I think he is commenting on something more that what can be seen in this work. Editor: That's interesting, I didn’t immediately make the connection between urban growth and solitude. It’s almost as if their individual identities are fading into the background. I hadn't considered the context that closely. The use of bold lines certainly adds to that mechanical, impersonal effect. Curator: Precisely! And have you noticed the colour choices? Are they joyful colours of the city? Or muted, oppressed colours hinting at being trapped. Think of how it contrasts to works made only a few years earlier and you start to think there's a bit of melancholy in there too! That tension to the work. Editor: Now that you point that out, it’s so obvious. I guess that’s the paradox— a crowded place is one of the loneliest. Curator: Indeed! It shows how much the artist captured an experience, not just a scene. A slice of life served with some bitter herbs!