Municipal Building, New York, Under Construction 1910s

Editor: Here we have James Henry Daugherty’s print, "Municipal Building, New York, Under Construction," created in the 1910s using etching and engraving techniques. The contrast between light and shadow makes the unfinished building seem both imposing and fragile. What do you see in this piece, focusing on its formal qualities? Curator: The image presents a compelling interplay between line and texture. Daugherty uses a dense network of etched lines to define the skeletal framework of the building under construction. Notice how the linear precision of the scaffolding contrasts with the more atmospheric rendering of the sky and the indistinct figures below. Editor: Yes, I noticed that. The haziness almost seems to surround the figures and the skeletal steelwork, compared to the building. What do you make of that contrast? Curator: Precisely. That contrast effectively foregrounds the dynamic state of becoming, that’s implied in the unfinished structure. The artist highlights a Modernist theme in the early twentieth century—construction—through the skeletal representation. Furthermore, light plays an important role; how does light structure this picture plane? Editor: Well, there are high contrasts on the right side of the building itself. I feel like the light gives it volume, almost highlighting the parts that are already “built”. The darker sections are skeletal. It also gives a contrast between old and new—dark, smoky rendering on the left, and the light-filled building on the right. Curator: Indeed. By employing strong tonal contrasts, the artist not only describes form, but also alludes to the energy and dynamism inherent in the act of creation. This work transcends its subject matter, inviting contemplation of structure and surface, of representation and process. Editor: I now appreciate the relationship between light and shadow, between precise lines and looser marks, revealing so much about process and creation, even within a single building. Curator: Yes. Focusing on formal elements draws out how Daugherty communicated so much, by controlling and deploying different forms.