Snowflakes Over Manhattan c. 1938 - 1939

William Sharp made this print called 'Snowflakes Over Manhattan'. It's hard to put my finger on a specific date but you can feel the hand of the artist, as the process of mark-making comes to the fore. Here, the tonality is what it's all about. The artist scratches the surface with such care, attending to the different gradients of light and shade. The buildings are looming, there's a real sense of depth created by the grey gradations, but it's the foreground that draws you in. Look how the figures are bent double, weighed down with the arduous task of shovelling snow, their faces etched with a mix of determination and weariness. You can almost feel the cold seeping into your bones. It's like a dance with exhaustion. I'm put in mind of those German Expressionist prints, like Kathe Kollwitz. This piece could be seen as part of that legacy, but with a certain American grit and the spirit of workers powering on through. For me, it shows how art can capture the spirit of a time, leaving space for us to project our own readings of experience, struggle, and the city.