Aspects of Suburban Life - Polo Spill 1938

Paul Cadmus created "Aspects of Suburban Life - Polo Spill" using etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate with acid, then inked and pressed onto paper. The material qualities of the etching process lend themselves to the image's satirical sharpness. Cadmus’s critical eye captures the leisure activities of the well-to-do: a polo match gone awry. The artist skillfully uses the etched line to delineate the chaotic scene, contrasting the fallen players and rearing horses with the horrified spectators. Their exaggerated expressions and postures suggest a commentary on the performative aspects of wealth and privilege. The labor-intensive etching process mirrors the artist's meticulous attention to detail, yet also ironically contrasts with the idle luxury depicted. Cadmus asks us to consider the social divisions inherent in a society where such leisure activities are possible, and how these distinctions are etched, just as deeply, into the fabric of everyday life.