Staalfabrieken before 1903

This photograph, Staalfabrieken, by Eduard Arning, is printed in an old book, I wonder if this is from the time it was taken? I see a lot of gray, but it's not just a flat gray, it’s got all these subtle variations, like the gray you get when you mix all your leftover paints together. That kind of gray has a lot of life in it. Check out the smokestack. It's like the exclamation point of the whole scene, rising up and fading into the atmosphere. The grays and blacks feel like they’re made of grit and texture – the kind you can almost feel on your fingertips. It's not smooth, but it’s got a rough, industrial feel to it. Arning’s scene reminds me of some of Charles Burchfield's industrial landscapes, but with a softer, more muted palette. Both artists find a kind of stark beauty in these scenes, inviting us to see something more than just factories. Art’s like that; it doesn’t tell us what to think, it asks us to look closer.