OPTIC "Train Station"

Objective:

In this painting we can see a train station filled with african americans and white americans, each going to different destinations.

Parts:

The painting has quite a simple texture and composition. It is made up of several straight lines and bold colors. The lines create a sense of depth, which is pretty important when depicting a train station. There is clearly  division of this painting into three parts, divided by two main columns. In the left section, we can see a group of white people getting on a train. The middle and right section is filled with African Americans who are taking a train to go the other direction.

Title:

The title of this illustration in “Train Station”. It comes mainly from the setting, which is actually a train station. The importance of the title though, is that is implies that everyone involved in this painting has a future destination which is not the actual train station. The fact that it includes two different races, and was painted during a time of racial segregation in the united states, brings up much deeper themes than simply a train station.

Interrelationships:

As mentioned before, the most important aspect of this painting is its people’s destinations. Above the train which the white people are getting on, there is a sign that says south. Above the train in which the African Americans are getting on, there is a sign that says North. Clearly, this represents a vast migration of races in the United States, most probably after World War I.

Conclusion:

This is definitely a very interesting painting. Although it shows the division of race at one particular instance, it also represents a new, larger mixture of race in the United States as a whole. The painter, Walter Ellison, lived through the entire political movement concerning racial tolerance, therefore this his work of art gives the viewer a quick glance of what was going on.