Sidewalk Grating c. 1939

This drawing of a sidewalk grating was made by Sydney Roberts, though the exact date is unknown. Roberts was born in 1855 and died in 1995, so this image likely comes from the late 19th or early 20th century. What I find so intriguing about this image is the very concept of elevating something so quotidian. The artist asks us to look at the elaborate floral designs of the grating, and to see the beauty in something usually overlooked, something literally underfoot. We can imagine how the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the modern city created a need for these functional objects, while also creating new forms of aesthetic expression. Drawings such as this ask us to reconsider the relationship between art, labor, and the everyday environment. To better understand this artwork, we can research the history of urban planning and industrial design, or study how different artists have represented the city. Art, after all, is shaped by its social context.