(Glen Line, Pennsylvania, 1907 - 2012, Wadsworth, Ohio)
c. 1948
Oil on fiberboard
27 1/2 x 32 5/8 in. (69.9 x 82.8 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Museum Acquisition Fund
1948.171
Joseph Koch’s composition is filled with movement, from the man wrenching the fire hydrant to the flags fluttering in the background. The repetition of yellow and red elements creates visual unity. Koch balances realism, in the actions of the figures, with stylization, and in the lack of detail in their faces.