Granite 1939

Sol Wilson made this oil on canvas painting, Granite, with an expressionist approach to mark-making. The grey color palette is offset against the activity of the scene, giving the piece a sense of drama. The texture of the painting feels rugged, like the granite it depicts; look closely, and you can almost feel the grit. The paint application varies, with some areas thinly veiled and others built up in thick, expressive strokes. See the way Wilson painted the mountain in the background; it's like a metaphor for the hard work of the men in the foreground. Wilson’s work reminds me of Jacob Lawrence, who also found ways to make social commentary in his paintings using expressive, abstracted figures. Granite embraces ambiguity, leaving us to ponder the story behind the scene.