Chicago River
1935/42
Morris Topchevsky (American, born Poland, 1899-1947) published by the Works Progress Administration
United States
After receiving artistic training at Hull House, Morris Topchevsky enrolled in night classes taught by Albert Krehbiel at SAIC. Topchevsky was a workers rights’ advocate, and in 1932 he became one of the founding members of the Chicago chapter of the John Reed Club, a Marxist group that supported artists and intellectuals. While many of Topchevsky’s works depict the hardships of the Great Depression or toiling laborers, this color etching displays a view of the Chicago River.
Color soft ground etching, with open bite and drypoint, inked à la poupée, from two plates on off-white wove paper