Subway Construction, No. 2 c. 1937

Jan Gelb made this lithograph, Subway Construction, No. 2, with ink on paper. Look at the marks, the tone, and how Gelb uses the grain of the lithographic stone to create a sense of grit and realism. It’s like he's wrestling with the stone to uncover the image. The dark areas create a feeling of depth and enclosure, while the lighter areas suggest light filtering into this subterranean world. I’m particularly drawn to the figure on the left, his body caught in a dynamic pose, arm raised, as if conducting the symphony of construction. The texture around the figure in the background on the right feels almost organic, like the earth itself is pushing back. It makes me think of Kollwitz, another artist who knew how to make black and white sing with emotion. Gelb shows us that art isn’t just about pretty pictures; it’s about digging into the raw, messy stuff of life.