The People Work - Night 1937

Benton Spruance made this lithograph, The People Work - Night, and it’s a great example of how marks alone can tell a story. It’s all about light and dark here, black and white. Look how Spruance uses these contrasting tones to define space and shape. It’s like he’s carving into the light, revealing these crowded scenes. The texture is created through dense, layered lines, giving the whole piece a gritty, almost palpable feel. Focus on the lower left corner, where workers gather around a light source. The way Spruance renders the light falling on their faces and hands—it’s almost sculptural. This small scene encapsulates the overarching theme: the dignity and intensity of labor. Spruance’s work reminds me of early 20th-century social realists like Kathe Kollwitz, who also used printmaking to comment on the human condition. But where Kollwitz is filled with grief, Spruance finds a kind of stark beauty. It’s a conversation about how we see and value everyday life.