Warehouse Fire

Harry R. Rein|WPA

1935–43 · Woodcut · Drawings and Prints

Using woodcut’s expressive potential, Rein produced an image that distills an urban blaze to its essence. He made quick cuts in the printing block to describe the protective gear worn by the firemen, whom he has characterized as a series of near identical forms directing hoses at a burning warehouse. Deeper cuts were required to produce the strong white jets of water, and the grain of the block was utilized to convey billowing smoke. Figures gathered near a reflective pool demonstrate human fascination with fire’s destructive potential. A native New Yorker, Rein attended the Art Students League, then made prints for the Works Progress Administration during the Depression.

Artist

Harry R. Rein|WPA

Date

1935–43

Medium

Woodcut

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of the Work Projects Administration, New York, 1943