Spring on Pleasant Street 1958

Stow Wengenroth made this lithograph, Spring on Pleasant Street, at some point in his career. You can see how the entire image emerges from a network of tiny marks, almost like the buzzing of insects on a warm day. What strikes me most about this piece is the texture, achieved entirely through gradations of tone. Look at the way Wengenroth uses line to describe the bark of the trees, those dark crevices suggesting age and resilience, or the softer foliage which is rendered with a kind of hazy softness. There’s a beautiful contrast between the density of the trees and the light that filters through, creating a palpable sense of atmosphere. The building in the background almost feels like it’s breathing. This quiet attention to detail reminds me of the work of someone like Agnes Martin, in that Wengenroth seems to find the sublime in the everyday. Art is not always about grand gestures, sometimes it is about learning to see the world more attentively.