Night, Steel and Sleep 1949

James Downey Egleson’s “Night, Steel and Sleep” (1949) is a woodcut print that portrays a somber scene on board a ship. The image depicts a group of sleeping sailors nestled beneath the deck, their bodies contorted in the confined space. The dark, nightmarish scene is made even more oppressive by the looming presence of ship machinery, emphasizing the dangers of life at sea. The print is a powerful example of Egleson’s ability to capture the human condition within a setting of industrial machinery.