Market Street Station 1931

Pierre Sanford Ross made this lithograph, Market Street Station, in 1931, and the grey scale makes it feel both old and new. The artist's marks create this whole world with just a few tones, and it feels so complete! The texture in this piece is fascinating. You can almost feel the grit of the city just by looking at the paper. The artist used different grades of pencils to achieve the detailed architectural rendering, notice the lighter shading to define the sky against the deeper blacks used to describe the station. Look at the building’s facade, particularly the details on the turrets and windows, these details give the building a sense of depth and history. This work reminds me of Charles Burchfield, with its interest in the vernacular architecture of the American city. It captures a moment in time, a specific place, but also something universal about urban life and the built environment. Art is always talking to itself, right?