Memorial 1950

Benton Spruance made this lithograph, titled 'Memorial,' using a limestone block and greasy tusche ink. The nature of lithography requires the artist to draw directly onto the stone. Spruance would have used the principles of oil and water resistance to fix his composition and create a relief for printing. The velvety texture of the ink gives the image a soft focus, despite its hard-hitting subject matter. Although the work is starkly graphic, lithography is also an indirect medium. There is a necessary distance between the artist's hand and the final print. This quality may mirror the experience of grief, where emotion can be both immediate and strangely removed. By understanding the labor and process involved in lithography, we can appreciate how Spruance's choice of medium enhances the emotional impact of this memorial.