Peter Blume - The Rock - 1944-1948
At the center of this painting looms a monumental rock—scarred, blasted, yet enduring. Precariously perched on a natural pedestal of soil and stone, the rock serves as the fulcrum of the composition, giving it balance and symmetry. A scene fraught with destruction and bustling human activity encircles the rock. Men and women of different ages and races work together to bring order to the chaotic landscape. On the left, a group of workers constructs a modern building using simple tools and methods. On the right, two men—one old, the other young—strain to bring order to a smoldering ruin. This bizarre combination of devastation and reconstruction provokes the viewer to question both the causes for such destruction as well as the goal of these men and women’s efforts. According to the artist, Peter Blume, The Rock symbolizes “the continual process of man’s rebuilding out of a devastated world.” The complexity and dense imagery of this work, however, are open to several interpretations. Peter Blume’s The Rock is indebted to the political, social, and artistic currents of the time as well as the artist’s own personal vision - Art Institute Chicago
Size: 3000px × 2324px
Photo credit: © steeve-x-art / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: alamy, american, art, artist, artistic, artwork, artworks, beautiful, blog, blume, collection, collections, colorful, colourful, creative, cultural, culture, decor, decorative, exhibition, fine, galleries, gallery, heritage, historic, historical, illustration, image, painting, peter, quality, rock, stock, vintage, work
