Portrat of Joseph Boston, Laborer 1932

Samuel Pullman made this stark portrait of Joseph Boston, Laborer, with what looks like etching. The cross-hatching gives the whole image a kind of vibrating energy, but it’s also used to describe the weight of the man's form, the folds of his clothes, and the set of his jaw. You can really feel the physicality of the medium. Look at how the lines around his eyes and mouth are so delicate, almost like a whisper, while the shading on his apron is much more dense and forceful. It’s like the artist is using line to sculpt the form, to give it both presence and depth. This reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who used printmaking to capture the grit and dignity of working-class life. But where Kollwitz is all about the drama and emotion, Pullman has a kind of quiet, stoic quality. It’s like he’s saying, "This is a person, this is their life, and that’s enough."