Teeming Ingots

In its portrayal of a routine step in the process of making steel from molten iron, James E. Allen's Teeming Ingots glorifies the laborer's vigorous role in American industry. Together, two workers stand firmly gripping a prod to guide the dangerously hot liquid metal as it pours from a gigantic crucible into molds to harden into ingots, or bars. At the center of the image, a blaze of bright light (the uninked white of the paper) evokes the searing heat emanating from the molten metal. The glare illuminates the underside of the large suspended bucket-like container and the fronts of the men, who are clad in ordinary work clothes with the added meager protection of goggles and heat-resistant gloves. Their surroundings are cloaked in deep shadow: the darkest areas of ink define the back of the laborer closest to the viewer, the floor, the shaded left side of the crucible, and the cavernous factory interior. The workers boldly disregard their own vulnerability to the excessive heat and blinding light as they perform their hazardous and grueling task.

By juxtaposing strong contrasts of light and dark, Allen dramatized the intense interaction between men and machinery as the workers master the fiery substance. The artist's skill in intaglio technique was acknowledged by his peers: in 1935 Teeming Ingots was selected as the annual premium print to be distributed to members of the Society of American Etchers. Although he carefully composed preparatory drawings for each of his prints, few survive. Allen never printed his own etching plates; rather, Ernest D. Roth (1879–1964), an accomplished etcher of architectural city views, is credited as the printer for Teeming Ingots, which was among the most popular prints Allen ever created. In the 1930s and 1940s, when depression and war inspired greater artistic interest in the ordinary laborer, Allen was joined by numerous other American printmakers in taking manual labor as their subject, as demonstrated in works by Gifford Beal (TF1996.77, TF 1996.76), Boris Gorelick (TF 1996.70), Clare Leighton (TF 1996.33.a-f), and Benton Spruance (TF 1995.47.a-d).

Visions of a Nation: Exploring Identity through American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, August 10, 1996–January 12, 1997.

The People Work: American Perspectives, 1840–1940 (Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains 1840–1940),Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venues: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, March 15–May 25, 2003; Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, June 8–August 17, 2003. [exh. cat.]

Ryan, Mary with Elisa M. Rothstein and David Kiehl. James E. Allen. (exh. cat., Mary Ryan Gallery). New York: Mary Ryan Gallery, 1984. No. 88, pp. 5, 32.

Master Prints of Five Centuries: The Alan and Marianne Schwartz Collection. (exh. cat., The Detroit Institute of Arts). Detroit, Michigan: The Detroit Institute of Arts, 1990. No. 2, p. 39.

Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. The People Work: American Perspectives, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 22, 27 (checklist); fig. 9, p. 22 (black & white). [specific reference to Terra print]

Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 22, 27 (checklist); fig. 9, p. 22 (black & white). [specific reference to Terra print]