New York, the Old and the New

c. 1910s

Joseph Pennell

Associated Names
Joseph Pennell

Artist, American, 1857 - 1926

The image shows a street-level view of a bustling cityscape. Buildings of various heights, including skyscrapers and mid-rises, line the horizon. Some buildings feature architectural details like domes and cornices, with one having a flagpole. The brushstrokes are subtle and controlled, capturing the scene with soft lines and hints of color. The color palette includes muted browns and grays for buildings, specks of greens and reds in a park area, and a pale beige sky. People in diverse attire walk along the paths, adding scale and activity. The background showcases more city architecture blending with the sky.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite and pastel on wove paper mounted to board

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Bequest of James Parmelee)

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 33.02 × 25.4 cm (13 × 10 in.)
    board: 40.64 × 28.89 cm (16 × 11 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.507


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

James Parmelee, Washington, DC; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1941; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

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. 122, no. 818.

Wikidata ID

Q64591330

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