“Stop to see this powerful depiction of a lineman, where the artist captures the heroic scale of modern labor and technology with striking angles and vibrant color.”
A towering figure dominates this canvas, a lineman silhouetted against a vibrant, almost electric sky. The painting captures a moment of modern industry, with the worker poised amidst a network of poles and wires that crisscross the composition. His form, rendered with a stark, almost sculptural quality, speaks to the strength and anonymity of labor in the early 20th century. The dynamic angles and fragmented forms reflect the artistic currents of its time, suggesting movement and the raw energy of urban development. This work, created in 1927, signals a significant shift in Ivan Puni's style, moving away from his earlier avant-garde experiments towards a more representational, yet still powerfully expressive, approach. It’s a striking portrayal of human endeavor intertwined with the burgeoning technological landscape.
- Artist
- Ivan Puni
- Date
- 1927
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 184.2 × 92.7 cm (72 1/2 × 36 1/2 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Gift of Ivan Albright
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The lineman’s elongated, almost monumental silhouette.
The stark contrast between the figure and the bright, fragmented sky.
The crisscrossing lines of the wires and poles, creating a geometric web.
The subtle, almost painterly texture of the blue uniform.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through The Lineman — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Ivan Puni
1890–1956 · Russian EmpireRussian avant-garde pioneer who organized the legendary 0.10 exhibition, then reinvented himself as a French painter.
Further Works by Puni
Memories of the Past
1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Heavy the Oar to Him Who Is Tired, Heavy the Coat, Heavy the Sea
1929 · Art Institute of Chicago
Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida
1929 · Art Institute of Chicago
And Man Created God in His Own Image
1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Three Love Birds
1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Nude
1931 · Art Institute of Chicago
That Which I Should Have Done I Did Not Do (The Door)
1931 · Art Institute of Chicago
Divided and Divided
1941 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Puni: works from the same years.
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Straße mit Passanten bei Nachtbeleuchtung
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1927 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Bull's Head
Mikhail Larionov · 1913 · Tretyakov Gallery
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Circus Rider
Marc Chagall · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lemons on a Pewter Plate
Henri Matisse · 1926 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Still Life with Fragments
Paul Klee · 1925 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Blue Forest
Max Ernst · 1925 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Abstraction: Background with Blue Cloudy Sky
Pablo Picasso · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Grant Wood · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Eye
René Magritte · 1932 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Fiddler
Norman Rockwell · 1921 · Brandywine Museum of Art