Oil c. 1920s

Frederick Monhoff made this print, titled Oil, which depicts a sparse landscape crowded with oil derricks. The technique looks like etching, and you can see how the build-up of tiny lines creates a rich and varied surface. I love that Monhoff hasn't tried to hide the process in any way. The plate tone, which is the faint layer of ink left on the plate when it’s printed, gives the whole image a sense of atmosphere, like the scene is shrouded in mist or smog. It is the details in the lower corner that fascinate me. Look closely and you'll see these tiny figures, dwarfed by the enormity of the industrial landscape. They are maybe workers, or maybe just observers of this transformation. This print reminds me of the work of the German Expressionists like Otto Dix or George Grosz, who also used printmaking to depict the harsh realities of modern life. It feels like a conversation across time, where artists grapple with the same questions about progress, industry, and the human condition.