Derricks at Night 1927

Curator: This is "Derricks at Night" by Martin Lewis, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes you first about it? Editor: That figure walking almost blends into the grimy urban machinery. There's a strong sense of human labor being dwarfed. Curator: Precisely, Lewis masterfully depicts the city as a space shaped by industrial activity. The print captures the mood of a rapidly modernizing urban landscape, and how such a society values the labor of its people. Editor: And look at the textures achieved through the printmaking—the grit of the street, the rough-hewn quality of the wood. The material process mirrors the reality it depicts. Curator: It's a testament to Lewis’s skill in elevating everyday scenes into subjects worthy of artistic attention, reflecting a growing interest in urban life as a subject for art. Editor: It reminds us that art can be found not just in grand monuments but in the ordinary, often overlooked aspects of our surroundings. Curator: A powerful reminder indeed!