Liner and Tug
ca. 1914-1918
Henry Lyman Sayen captures the raw industrial power of a steamship in this jagged, energetic scene that feels less like a calm harbor and more like a visual explosion of mechanical noise. Created around World War I, the American modernist uses frantic cross-hatching and bold black shapes to make the massive liner look like it's vibrating with electricity. You can see a smaller tugboat on the left, dwarfed by the giant steel web of masts and rigging. Sayen, who was heavily influenced by Cubism during his time in Paris, turns a heavy vessel into a dynamic sketch of the machine age.
Views: 1