Lamentation 1950

Benton Spruance created this print, Lamentation, using lithography, a process that relies on the tension between oil and water. The artist draws an image on a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then applies ink that adheres only to the drawn areas, allowing the image to be printed. In Lamentation, Spruance orchestrates a somber mood through his choice of material and making process. The lithographic technique allows for subtle gradations of tone, evident in the ghostly figure at the center. The flat, blocky shapes in muted grays and yellows evoke a sense of industrial architecture or perhaps even tombstones. The grainy texture inherent to lithography contributes to the work's emotional weight, suggesting a sense of decay or the passage of time. The title, Lamentation, further reinforces the theme of sorrow and loss. Here we see Spruance leveraging the material qualities of lithography to create a powerful meditation on grief. It's a reminder that the meaning of an artwork is deeply intertwined with the way it's made.