Forest of Flame 1939

Harry Sternberg made this print, *Forest of Flame*, using lithography. Look at the way he coaxes tone out of the stone, building atmosphere with these tiny, energetic marks. It’s a process of layering and rubbing, right? I love how the industrial forms become characters here. The smokestacks are so solid, like watchful figures dominating the landscape. There's a real contrast between the sharp lines of the buildings and the soft, almost smudgy, smoke billowing around them. Check out the lower left corner, where a little train chugs along. Those tiny figures seem dwarfed by the scale of the factory. It’s like Sternberg is showing us the human cost of industry, but with a kind of stark beauty, you know? I think about other artists who grappled with similar themes, like the German Expressionists, who found ways to use distorted forms and high contrast to get at emotional truths.