The close-up of the face in Donato Rico’s print is drawn with sharp, angular lines, emphasizing the subject’s taut skin and skeletal structure. Rico has packed the print with images, tightly surrounding the figure in the central shaft, and projecting the sensation of claustrophobia in a mining tunnel.

The title reiterates the somber feel by identifying his illness. Silicosis is a respiratory disease caused from inhaling silica dust, a naturally forming crystal common in most rocks that becomes airborne in mining processes. The silica dust causes swelling in the lungs, which causes the sufferer to have trouble breathing.