The Merry-Go-Round

Cyril E. Power British

Not on view

The Merry-Go-Round, which was inspired by a visit to the Wembley Exhibition Fun Fair in London, conveys the dynamism of contemporary life. In order to depict symbols of modernity—such as race cars, subways, sporting events, amusement parks, and machinery—Power and other students at London’s Grosvenor School of Modern Art embraced the linoleum cut, a relief-printmaking technique related to the woodcut. Linoleum, an inexpensive, synthetic material, was easier to carve than wood and allowed artists to realize a greater variety of effects, such as flat planes of color, diverse textures, and long, sinuous lines. The strength of the material enabled artists to pull a greater number of prints without compromising quality; the resultant prints were then sold at lower prices, thus reflecting the group’s democratic aspirations.

The Merry-Go-Round, Cyril E. Power (British, London 1872–1951 London), Linocut on Japanese paper

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.