Railroad Viaduct (Die Eisenbahnbrücke) 1919

Lyonel Feininger created this woodcut, Railroad Viaduct, using stark black ink on paper. The print is dominated by sharp, angular lines and a high-contrast palette, creating a fragmented and somewhat unsettling urban scene. Notice how the composition is structured around the viaduct's arches, which frame distorted buildings and figures. The stark black and white creates a sense of unease, reflecting the anxieties of the modern era. Feininger uses a semiotic system of signs to interpret the visual components and cultural codes which may have informed the artwork's making and reception. The lack of traditional perspective and the disjointed forms challenge fixed meanings and established values. Consider how the rough texture of the woodcut enhances the sense of fragmentation. The artist destabilizes established meanings, values, or categories. The railroad viaduct, a symbol of progress and modernity, is rendered as a looming, almost oppressive structure, reflecting the ambivalence towards industrialization prevalent during the early 20th century.