Downtown, New York

1921

John Taylor Arms

Associated Names
John Taylor Arms

Artist, American, 1887 - 1953

The image depicts an urban scene with a street-level view of a busy avenue flanked by tall buildings. The horizon is positioned towards the upper-middle part of the image, creating a sense of depth as the street and buildings extend into the distance. The artist employs precise, linear brushstrokes to illustrate the architecture, highlighting the vertical and horizontal lines of the skyscrapers. The color scheme is primarily sepia tones, giving a monochromatic and historical atmosphere. In the foreground, there is a streetcar and pedestrians on the sidewalk, casting elongated shadows as they move. The scene captures the interplay of light and shadow across the buildings, enhancing the depth and energy of the urban landscape.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    aquatint and etching in brown on Japanese vellum

  • Credit Line

    Gift of David F. Wright

  • Dimensions

    plate: 20.8 x 11.43 cm (8 3/16 x 4 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 49.53 x 32.07 cm (19 1/2 x 12 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2010.45.2

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Fletcher 1982, No. 108


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(The Old Print Shop, Inc., New York, 2009); David F. Wright, Virginia, 2010; Gift 2010 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1982

  • Fletcher, William Dolan. John Taylor Arms, A Man for All Time: The Artist and His Work. New Haven, CT: The Sign of the Arrow, 1982, p. 82, no. 108.

Inscriptions

in graphite, lower left: Downtown; below plate mark, lower right: John Taylor Arms - 1921

Wikidata ID

Q76552664

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