This image depicts a favorite subject of Charles Demuth—his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Demuth fastidiously painted this highly linear and angular composition in homage to the industrial American landscape. Crucial to the artist’s development was the work of Paul Cézanne and Cubist artists, which he encountered during trips to Europe. However, Demuth only selectively incorporated aspects of the style into his work. While his paintings harness the energy and dynamism of his enthusiasm for progress, they equally retain elements of realism.

Label from Picasso: The Artist and His Models, November 5, 2016–February 19, 2017