The Steel Mill
The Steel Mill
Artist
Thomas Hart Benton
(1889 - 1975)
Date1930
MediumOil on canvas mounted on board
Dimensions48 × 30 in. (121.9 × 76.2 cm)
Framed: 53 1/4 × 35 3/8 × 1 7/8 in.
Framed: 53 1/4 × 35 3/8 × 1 7/8 in.
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.103
Signedl.r.: Benton
Accession number
2010.103
On View
Not on viewLabel TextIn 1937, Thomas Hart Benton claimed that “all that was romantic and inspiring in the American spirit found its expression in steel.” To paint The Steel Mill, Benton fought hard to gain access to an industrial steel mill in order to witness and record firsthand experiences. A colleague arranged for Benton to visit the Bethlehem Steel plant in Sparrow’s Point, Maryland in early 1930, where the artist created detailed sketches of the industrial environment that he referenced in many later works.
En 1937, Thomas Hart Benton afirmó que “todo lo romántico e inspirador en el espíritu estadounidense encontró su expresión en el acero”. Para pintar La acería, Benton luchó para que le dieran acceso a una acería industrial con el objetivo de presenciar de primera mano experiencias que luego pudiera registrar. Un colega organizó la visita de Benton a la planta de la Acería Bethlehem en Sparrow’s Point, Maryland a principios de 1930, donde el artista creó bocetos detallados de aquel entorno industrial a los que hizo referencia en muchas obras posteriores.
