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Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Starting June 3
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

The Builders

1932

James E. Allen

Associated Names

James E. Allen

Artist, American, 1894 - 1964

This is a drawing of construction workers on steel beams. The scene shows figures wearing heavy work attire, balancing on wooden beams or steel girders high above a cityscape. The drawing is detailed with dark, cross-hatched lines defining the contours and textures. The background hints at an urban environment, possibly with buildings in the distance, conveying a sense of height and an industrial setting. The clothing folds and tools depicted add to the dynamic realism of the composition.

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Artwork overview

Medium

etching in black
Credit Line

Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams
Dimensions

plate: 25.1 × 30.5 cm (9 7/8 × 12 in.)
sheet: 33 × 38.1 cm (13 × 15 in.)
Accession Number

2008.115.641
Catalogue Raisonné

Ryan 1984, no. 62

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Reba and Dave Williams, Greenwich, Connecticut; acquired 2008 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Dave H. and Reba W. Williams

Bibliography

1984

Ryan, Mary. James E. Allen. New York: Mary Ryan Gallery, 1984, p. 23, no. 62.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: James E. Allen

Wikidata ID

Q76442911

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