Chicago River
1905
Earl Howell Reed captures the gritty, industrial soul of early 20th-century Chicago in this moody etching, playfully dedicating it in the margin as 'A Little Bunch of Chicago Smoke.' The scene is dominated by the dark, looming hull of a ship in the foreground, its rigging tangling with the masts of other vessels against a smog-choked sky. In the distance, a clock tower pierces the haze, grounding the viewer in the bustling harbor. The scratchy, energetic lines perfectly convey the soot and atmosphere of a city rapidly industrializing, turning pollution into a poetic, atmospheric study.
- Technique
- Etching
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