New York

1942

Helen Levitt

Associated Names
Helen Levitt

Artist, American, 1913 - 2009

This is a photograph of a city street scene. The scene captures a child walking on a wet sidewalk, with water spraying in the background, suggesting the presence of a fire hydrant being used as a makeshift water play area. An old-fashioned car with spoked wheels is parked on the street. The photo shows the texture of the wet ground, reflections of the surrounding environment, and the interaction between the elements of water, architecture, and vehicles. The buildings in the background are indicative of an early 20th-century urban setting.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 10.8 x 16.9 cm (4 1/4 x 6 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1995.36.97


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

David and Mary Robinson, Sausalito, CA; NGA purchase, 1995.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1995

  • The First Century of Photography: New Acquisitions, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1995.

Bibliography

1965

  • Levitt, Helen. A Way of Seeing. New York: Horizon Press, 1965, illus. pl.50.

1981

  • Levitt, Helen. A Way of Seeing. New York: Horizon Press, 1981, illus. pl.68.

1991

  • Phillips, Sandra S. and Maria Morris Hambourg. Helen Levitt. Exh. cat. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1991, p. 16, illus. pl.36.

Inscriptions

upper right verso in graphite: V 30; center verso in graphite: N.Y. circa 1942; lower right verso in graphite: Helen Levitt / $2900

Wikidata ID

Q64154933

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