Toilers of the City 1908

"Toilers of the City," a 1908 etching by Ralph M. Pearson, depicts a group of workers engaged in labor under an elevated railway in the city. The scene, likely New York City, showcases the harsh realities of urban life at the turn of the 20th century, as the figures are silhouetted against a hazy background, their identities obscured by the dense atmosphere and the shadows cast by the structure above. Pearson's masterful use of light and shadow, characteristic of the Ashcan School, highlights the working class and their daily struggle, a common theme in his art.