The artwork, titled “Drawing Submitted to the Fourth Estate’s Art Competition. A Woman Representing the Press Writes the News While Holding a Handful of Lightning Bolts Labeled with Regions and Nations of the World and News Subjects Such as Crime and Local,” was created by artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge in 1896. It is a symbolic painting from the Romanticism art movement.
In the artwork, a woman symbolizing the press is depicted in the act of writing news. She is holding a bundle of lightning bolts in her left hand, each labeled with various regions, nations, and news subjects such as “Europe,” “England,” “South America,” “Murder,” and “Local.” The scene conveys the omnipotent nature of the press, representing its far-reaching and impactful role in disseminating information across the world. The woman stands beside a large printing press, and the paper she writes on cascades down, engaging a diverse crowd below symbolizing the public. The intricate details and symbolism reflect the critical role of the press in society and its dynamic influence on public knowledge and opinion.
