Untitled (Strike) c. 1935 - 1943

Philip Ayer Sawyer made this drawing, we think sometime in the first half of the twentieth century, with graphite on paper. Sawyer’s hatching and cross-hatching builds a kind of chiaroscuro, or maybe even a kind of horror vacui, where he seemingly can’t leave any space untouched. Look at how he renders the central figure’s back, each stroke feeling both deliberate and impulsive. The weight of the graphite almost feels like it’s pressing into the paper, giving the figure a tangible sense of volume and presence. There's a rawness to the drawing, a kind of unpolished intensity that’s really compelling. The marks on the back create the illusion of texture and form, but they also create a space for interpretation. I’m reminded of artists like Käthe Kollwitz, who also used printmaking and drawing to depict working-class people with empathy and social awareness. But unlike Kollwitz’s more refined realism, Sawyer’s approach feels almost expressionistic, leaning into the emotional and psychological weight of his subject matter. This drawing makes me think about how art can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and sparking conversation.