Lithograph #41 (Visionary City) 1931

William Samuel Schwartz made this lithograph, #41, called Visionary City, using black ink to create a tower of architectural forms, that looks as though it might topple right over. Look at the way that all of these geometric forms are angled in relation to each other – there’s so much precariousness in it! The inky blacks give depth and shadow, and the stark contrast with the white of the paper gives the whole thing a kind of futuristic edge. The surface has a real smoothness, which makes the sharp lines of the buildings even more striking. Down at the base are rolling hills that feel dwarfed by the metropolis that sits above. The real energy of this piece lies in the tension between the city’s solid geometry and the soft, almost dreamy quality of the ink. It reminds me of Piranesi’s etchings, with these imaginary spaces that feel both possible and impossible at the same time. These artists show us that art is a continuous conversation across time. It’s an open ended question about what we see, how we see it, and what we imagine.