Street Scene 1950

Neal Putman made this print, Street Scene, in 1950, using etching. Notice how the stark black and white tones dominate the view. Putman was likely drawing on memories from his time in Europe in the 1940s. The composition evokes the deprivations of that era: the buildings seem utilitarian, even bleak; the shadow on the left is ominous, and the figure walking in the distance is isolated. The artist also leaves clear signs of the process, with many fine lines of the etching visible. The printmaking process is itself labor intensive. The artist would have to apply a ground to a metal plate, draw the image, and then use acid to bite into the exposed lines. Inking and printing followed. Putman may have been commenting on the alienating effects of modern life, where human effort is subsumed to mechanical routine. The work’s directness reminds us that art is always born of specific methods, whether those are of refined technique or hard, repetitive work.