Skip to main content
  1. Art
  2. The Collection

Mining Town

Blanche Grambs

Artwork Details

Mining Town
1936-1943
Blanche Grambs
etching on paper
11 4/5 in x 14 ⅞ in (30 cm x 37.78 cm)
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects
1943.43

On Display

Not currently on display

Tags

Description

Subject Matter:

In Mining Town, three bundled and shadowy figures walk in front of a row of buildings. A large industrial building looms in the background. The artist, Blanche Grambs, joined the Art Students League in New York City in 1934. At the school she was encouraged to incorporate social issues into her art. The plight of miners became a common theme in her work following a 1936 trip with the league to a mining town in Pennsylvania. That same year she joined the Federal Art Project. The town featured in this print was likely inspired by her travels to Pennsylvania. 

Physical Description:

Four buildings are situated at an angle and descend away from the viewer as if on a hill. A latticework pattern visible in the background suggests an industrial complex. Three figures in deep shadow walk in the foreground. 

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.