Forge in Sterkrade

Otto Bollhagen’s Forge in Sterkrade depicts one of the most impressive—and powerful—of all industrial processes: the forging of large workpieces in a hydraulic press under tools powered by extreme fluid power. The painting documents a large-scale forging operation at the Gutehoffnungshütte (GHH) mining and mechanical engineering company in Sterkrade, Germany.

The press of the type depicted here was capable of hundreds, even thousands, of tons of pressure. In 1913, pressures generally ranged from 1000-2000psi. Assuming pressures in this range along with a piston diameter of 36 inches (1018 square inches in cross-section), this press was capable of creating 500-1000 tons of working pressure. Research shows that by 1920 dual-piston presses were capable of achieving pressures in excess of 10,000 tons; indeed an impressive, and powerful, process.

Few artists matched Otto Bollhagen in skill, detail and accuracy in the depiction of industrial interiors. He began his career as a decorative painter of frescoes and interiors. Later, he worked as a commercial artist before finding his place among the great industrial painters. As such, he earned an honorary degree in engineering following a 1910 exhibition in Brussels where his works on industry were featured. A highly skilled and prolific artist, his paintings were admired for their quality but also their precision in depicting complex industrial processes. Atelier Bollhagen, which he established in 1892, continues this tradition in fine painting. The atelier (studio) is now managed by the artist’s great-grandson, also named Otto Bollhagen