Brass Rail

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In her introduction to Anthony Eterovich’s 2018 posthumous retrospective A Thrilling Art: The Art of Anthony Eterovich, Charlotte Gordon explains that the artist took up photorealism in the 1970s as a test of his artistic skills: During the 1970s, photo-realism became the popular painting trend. Not one to ignore a challenge, Eterovich thinned his paints to achieve the equivalent of a photo-emulsion surface. His formidable drawing skills are in evidence through this series. His lines of perspective and reflective surfaces are flawless… Connecting especially to Gordon’s point regarding depicted reflections, fellow Cleveland artist and educator William Martin Jean describes a particular influence: “He was most interested in the work of Richard Estes when it first came on the scene and in his own way adopted some of his ideas, like the use of the display window.” Brass Rail ably synthesizes these influences, with a street scene featuring cars, buildings, and glass storefronts. Notably, the painting shows a portion of Akron’s South Main Street, just across from what is now Lock 3 Park. The largest buildings seen in Eterovich’s picture remain in place today, and the titular Brass Rail is now The Lockview, which is also a bar and restaurant. The Lockview retains the stone façade and gable roof with shingles shown in Eterovich’s painting, though it has a new awning and no longer features a statue mounted at its highest point. The Brass Rail was first listed in Akron’s city directory in 1946 and last listed in 1968.