Blacksmith c. 1940s

Roderick Fletcher Mead made this print of a Blacksmith using lithographic stone. Look how the marks build up to describe the figure; short, quick strokes create this feeling of depth, and movement. It is almost like you can feel the heat coming off that iron! The surface is alive with these tiny actions, a real testament to the labor involved in both the blacksmith’s work and the art-making itself. Notice how the artist captures the contrast between the soft flesh of the blacksmith and the hard, unyielding metal he shapes. There is something so satisfying about that solid mass of the anvil, grounding the composition as the blacksmith's hammer comes down. This piece reminds me a little of Kollwitz, with its focus on the working class and the dignity of labor. You can almost hear the ring of the hammer!