Classic Landscape 1931

Charles Sheeler's 'Classic Landscape,' with its precise lines and cool palette, feels like it was built, rather than painted. I can imagine him carefully constructing the image, each plane and shape interlocking with machine-like precision. I sympathize with Sheeler, I think. There's a real urge to bring order to the world, to find the underlying structure. The brown and grey hues, punctuated by the warm brick tones, make me think of a silent movie, a world stripped down to its essential forms. Look at the way he renders the light – so clean and crisp, it almost hurts. I wonder if he knew, as he painted, that he was not just depicting a factory, but also capturing a moment in time, when industry and art seemed to be marching hand in hand. Painting is a constant conversation, and Sheeler was certainly listening to the hum of the machine age as he made this work, and adding his voice to the chorus.