Republic Steel on the Cuyahoga River 1932

August F. Biehle Jr. made this drawing of the Republic Steel on the Cuyahoga River with graphite and colored pencil on paper. I love that the steely gray and black of the factory, sky, and river are offset by the salmon-red barge, the only area of real color in the drawing. I can imagine Biehle sitting by the river, squinting slightly as he sketches the factory scene. The drawing feels both precise, in its depiction of industrial structures, and impressionistic, with the shimmering reflections in the water. The river's surface has been described with many small marks, horizontal and close together, creating a sense of rippling movement. There is an element of social critique here, too, maybe. The artist is showing us a world of labor and industry, and also its impact on the natural environment, which is pretty powerful for a drawing. The drawing is a testament to the artist’s ability to find beauty and meaning in the everyday, and to make it sing on paper.