On the Calumet 1912

Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt made "On the Calumet" using etching on paper. I imagine Nordfeldt, bent over the plate, his hand moving with precision, guided by vision and memory. Notice the marks building into a complex image of industry and nature. The smoke and steam, rendered with a flurry of lines, create a sense of movement and dynamism. He has scratched into the plate, again and again, to make the marks, I wonder how that felt? The etching reminds me of Whistler's industrial landscapes. Both artists sought to find beauty in the everyday, in the working world. But Nordfeldt adds something uniquely his own: a kind of raw, untamed energy. The composition is divided into distinct zones, each contributing to the overall drama. It's as if Nordfeldt is showing us not just a scene, but a feeling. He's tapping into something primal, something elemental. It makes you realize that we're all in this ongoing conversation. Our work connects us across time, inspiring new ways of seeing.