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Western Industrial

A work made of oil on canvas.

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1955

Artist:

Charles Sheeler
American, 1883–1965

About this artwork

Often associated with the American artistic group known as the Precisionists, Charles Sheeler was both a painter and a photographer. This late work, Western Industrial, depicts the Inland Steel plant in East Chicago, Indiana. Evident here is the artist’s interest in line and overlapping shapes, his restrained painting style, and his use of subdued color. The many diagonals leading the eye to various points in the composition give the impression of an active industry; however, the plant is devoid of humans. Indeed, a critic once referred to one of Sheeler’s works as a “depopulated landscape.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Charles Sheeler

Title

Western Industrial

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1955

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

58 × 73.5 cm (22 7/8 × 29 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mary and Leigh Block

Reference Number

1977.12

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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