While on a business trip to Dusseldorf, David Knapp, the famous American foundryman and painter, visited this world class Siempelkamp foundry in Krefeld in 1998 and fortunately today have some recall of the shop layout. This led to as desire to create a painting that was much more than a focus on pour off, (which so many photos show).
He wanted a painting to include people, some molding, core setting and cleaning. This painting depicts pouring a record breaking 320 net ton ductile press frame with five 70-ton ladles and also depicts one of those anniversaries where men and women assemble for a group photo. Strange that adding the people has created an intense reminder that it is the German people that have made the success, even though we get a glimpse of one record weight casting.
Those in white coveralls are cleaning and quality people, those in orange hats are coring a marine diesel engine mold and those with green hard hats are skilled foundry trades. Keep in mind that this composition was carefully constructed from a number of internet images available online and apologies if there are some inaccuracies.
Please refer to www.Davidjknapp.com. This is no. 59 acrylic on canvas with 28 X 42-inch image size. He invites others to share photos of their foundry and he should be able to produce a similar realistic painting
