The People Work - Morning 1937

Curator: Benton Spruance’s print, "The People Work - Morning," created in 1937, depicts a scene of urban commuters. What catches your eye? Editor: The sheer weight of it. Visually heavy, somber... it’s all rendered in graphite, which emphasizes that weight. All these bodies crammed together—there’s something monumental and anonymous about it all. Curator: Interesting. Think about the historical moment—the tail end of the Great Depression. Mass transit systems symbolized both progress and, paradoxically, the dehumanization of labor, where people were essentially cogs in an industrial machine. Consider how this image plays with those tensions. The lack of individual detail contributes to that feeling of anonymity. Editor: Yes, the symbolism of the train itself! The image of transition and passage, of course. Historically and mythologically, trains echo themes of journey, destiny, and sometimes even, ominous inevitability, particularly in a period of mass migration and societal upheaval. And then there are those waiting, gazing. It echoes themes present across civilizations. Curator: Precisely. And that division of space: commuters descend while those on the platform are waiting, creating a visual stratification—each group is isolated, trapped. This feels reminiscent of the silent film, Metropolis! Editor: I agree, that tiered composition certainly has that flavor. In some cultures, descending or ascending often carries a very literal and metaphorical weight, relating to moving between earth, the underworld, or a place of knowledge. Curator: So we see the print depicting the push and pull between progress and human dignity through visual cues... consider how Spruance prompts us to question who benefits from progress when workers remain faceless in their daily struggles. Editor: Absolutely. The imagery also suggests how even in moments of forced proximity, we can remain isolated by thought and circumstance, with that silent line of figures a shared human condition. The artist captured the somber morning journey. Curator: Yes, this makes a rich viewing experience, and brings nuance to our understanding of the history represented in "The People Work- Morning".