I Went Down that There Slide Faster than the Empire State Express

1910-1913

William Glackens

Associated Names
William Glackens

Artist, American, 1870 - 1938

This is a drawing of a public scene featuring a carnival or festival setting with exaggerated action. The drawing depicts a large crowd of people gathered, with various individuals wearing hats typical of the early 20th century. The focal point of the scene is a figure sliding down a steep incline or ride, arms flailing, clutching an umbrella and a hat. The background shows a decorative structure resembling a carnival booth or gazebo, with banners and flags. The style of drawing is characterized by expressive line work and energetic strokes that convey motion and excitement within the scene.

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Mrs. William J. Glackens, New York; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1943; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1939

  • Memorial Exhibition of the Works by William J. Glackens, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1939, no. 112

1980

  • That’s Entertainment, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1980

1981

  • Of Time and Place: American Figurative Art from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, 1981-1983, pp. 96-97, no. 35, repro

2007

  • Impressionism, Realism, Modernism: Works on Paper from the American Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2007

Bibliography

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 152, no. 1025.

1987

  • Allyn, Nancy E., and Elizabeth H. Hawkes. William Glackens: A Catalogue of his Book and Magazine Illustrations. Wilmington: Delaware Art Museum, 1987, pp. 27, 74, no. 554.

Inscriptions

lower left in black conté crayon: W. Glackens; upper left verso in green colored pencil by unknown hand: C 13; center verso in graphite: I went down that there slide / faster than the Empire State Express; lower center verso in graphite by unknown hand: - 4 1/2" - / 10 1/8 x 11 3/8 / with rule

Wikidata ID

Q64637005

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