In The River, Louis Guglielmi depicted female figures alongside an expanse of blue water. Hemmed in by the monolithic concrete riverbank, with an industrial landscape in the distance, the natural flow of water seems controlled and possibly reshaped. The expressions of the three women standing in the foreground are concealed from the viewer, contributing to the sense of ambiguity created by the vivid contrast between the natural and man-made landscapes. Commenting on The River, one critic noted that Guglielmi “interprets the relationship of man to his city environment. Often more profound than social consciousness, his work somehow suggests the theme of man oppressed by his own great triumphs.”