Between 1870 and 1914, the second wave of the Industrial Revolution brought changes that would have been difficult to imagine in earlier centuries. Cars, airplanes, and integrated electrical grids transformed urban environments. These advances in technology stimulated art production in new and exciting ways.

This exhibition brings together prints and drawings by European artists, such as Fernand Léger, Kazimir Malevich, Lyonel Feininger, and El Lissitzy, who captured the impact of industrialization on urban life in the early 20th century. Subjects such as power lines, neon signs, and factories became emblems of the speed and dynamism associated with modern life. Working in a variety of innovative styles that range from representational to abstract, these artists underscored the modernity of their subjects by adopting unique artistic philosophies.

More works celebrating the aesthetics of the Machine Age are featured in the DMA exhibition Cult of the Machine: Precisionism and American Art (closes January 6, 2019) on Level 1.