I See the Figure 5 in Gold Analysis - Charles Demuth

Even made of only numbers, circles, and lines; I See the Figure 5 in Gold has lots of heart. It's an homage to the poet William Carlos Williams. In fact, the painter, Charles Demuth, was a long time friend of Williams. He composed the painting around a phrase in poem The Great Figure. It says:


Among the rain and lights I saw the figure 5, in gold, on a fire truck, moving, tense, unheeded, to gong, clangs, siren howls, and wheels rumbling through the dark city.

William Carlos Williams - The Great Figure


I see a poignant parallel between these powerful words and Demuth's portrayal. This imagist poem comes to life as a barreling train in the stormy dark city at night. Thanks to the sharp edges and stripes, viewers sense the speed of a locomotive. We feel the cold bite of this heavy rain. It's the kind of night that sends a chill deep into one's bones.


Yet there's also a fire in I See the Figure 5 in Gold. Not only with the fire engine at the center. The gold and red images burn with energy pounding through the painting. It reminds me of running in place to keep warm. Of course, the purpose in the painting is to fight a fire. But in this world, even torrential rain doesn't quell a blaze.

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