Untitled (Subway Under Construction) c. 1940

Editor: Hyman William Katz's etching, "Untitled (Subway Under Construction)," circa 1940, presents this incredible snapshot of urban development. It's a very subtle and quiet print. I'm curious: what story do you think this work is trying to tell us? Curator: It's less about a single story and more about acknowledging the socio-political implications of progress itself. The workers, seemingly dwarfed by the scale of the construction, represent the human cost often overlooked in urban development. What does that 'Sunshine' signage in the background evoke for you, set against this scene of labor? Editor: Juxtaposition, I guess. The promise of something bright against the reality of hard work in the making. Is it commenting on the American Dream perhaps? Curator: Precisely! Think about the New Deal era, when this was made. The building of infrastructure like subways promised connectivity and opportunity, but who truly benefited, and at what expense? The almost clinical realism denies a heroic narrative, compelling us to confront questions of class and access. How might viewing this print through a lens of labor history deepen its meaning for you? Editor: I never considered it in the context of the time it was made. Highlighting that historical backdrop casts a whole new light on the people within the image itself. Thank you for that shift in perspective! Curator: And thank you. It’s through those contextual considerations and questions that we can move beyond admiring craft to interrogate societal dynamics through art.