He dares to touch it 1912

Louis Glackens created this illustration, likely a print, using drawing and possibly photographic reproduction techniques. The flat planes of color and bold outlines suggest a process geared towards mass production. This work would have been made through an assembly-line logic. Glackens likely produced the initial drawing, and then technicians would have transferred his design to printing plates. This division of labor, typical of early 20th century printmaking, parallels the industrial processes that shaped American society at the time. The image itself speaks to these themes. With ‘The Tariff’ suspended above him like a puppet on a string, we see President Wilson, and the leering figures of Roosevelt and Taft looking on. The tariff was a policy lever by which powerful interests could influence markets, and Glackens’ image encapsulates a moment of political tension. He dares to touch it – but who really controls it? The means of its production hint at the deep, systemic forces at play.