Back Road c. 1940s

Bernard Joseph Steffen's 'Back Road' is a print of a rural scene where a horse and carriage make their way along a road, with buildings and blossoming trees around. I can only imagine the physical labor and also the creative problem-solving Steffen went through to make this image. The printmaking process itself becomes a kind of performance. He’s thinking about how the forms build into the composition, and how those colors resonate. Steffen has made interesting choices with colour. The blossoming trees are rendered as white and blue fluffy forms. The horse pulling the carriage is also white, with shadows that echo the same blue as the trees. It’s a playful harmony. There’s something about the slightly off-kilter perspective and simplified shapes that make it seem like a memory. Maybe this is Steffen’s version of home, of nature, a nostalgic response that speaks to a universal desire for connection to the land. I find it really powerful how artists can connect to one another across time, sparking new ideas, and new ways of seeing.