Bombardment 1937 - 1938

Curator: This is Selma Cohen Bluestein’s “Bombardment,” an etching made between 1937 and 1938. Editor: Stark. The composition, mostly dark and shades of gray, immediately evokes a feeling of terror. What a chilling array of blacks and whites, really unsettling. Curator: Bluestein’s process is quite telling, actually. Printmaking allowed her to cheaply reproduce the image. With Europe heading to war, I read this print as a readily available and easily disseminated statement on the terror of the looming conflict, made for mass consumption. Editor: That dramatic tension between the planes overhead, those beams of light dissecting the skyline, and the figures huddled below… It is very successful formally. Curator: Absolutely. It embodies her engagement with the techniques and themes common among modernist artists. She created many works with sociopolitical narratives and, clearly, a focus on human suffering. Note that the cityscape in the middle ground suggests this is a modern industrialized center under attack. This was her labor. Editor: There's a poignant juxtaposition, isn’t there? The harsh geometry of the buildings contrasts powerfully with the curves of the mother and child in the foreground. That maternal bond, facing utter annihilation. The rendering of the textures and shading gives this an emotionally charged feeling. Curator: Right, it is difficult to consider Bluestein’s personal experiences in Philadelphia’s social movements and not view her figuration as intrinsically linked to a broader context of collective action. It becomes evident how Bluestein harnessed her skill as a printmaker to draw awareness of events in a troubled era. Editor: A work like this allows us to understand more deeply the power of images in communicating during those years. Curator: I agree, the legacy endures due to its impact on cultural narratives related to human rights and freedom.