Ruston stoomwegwals 1918 - 1945

Reijer Stolk created this print of a “Ruston stoomwals,” or steamroller, using an unknown medium. The silhouetted driver looms over the machine which bears down on a skull under its wheels. This deathly image seems at odds with our usual understanding of public works as contributing to a healthy, functioning society. It reflects the experience of total war in Europe from 1914-1918. We could see this steamroller as a metaphor for the destruction wrought by modern technology during that conflict. The image may express an anti-progress sentiment, critiquing the idea that technology is an inherently positive force. Stolk lived through the trauma of the first world war as a citizen of the Netherlands, a neutral country, but one that nevertheless felt the conflict’s impact. To better understand this print, we might research the Ruston company and the history of the steamroller, tracing how the development of new technologies influenced artistic viewpoints. The interpretation of art is contingent on such social and institutional contexts.