Past Exhibition

The Urban Scene: 1920–1950

The image depicts a cityscape viewed from ground level, surrounded by tall skyscrapers. The buildings dominate the scene, showing a style characterized by strong lines and shading. The architecture is rendered with meticulous pencil or ink lines creating depth. The color palette is primarily black, white, and shades of grey, emphasizing light and shadows. People and vehicles are present, and roads curve into the distance among the buildings. In the background, smoke or clouds drift skyward above the city. A flag prominently waves from a building on the left, adding movement to the scene.
Howard Cook, American Artists Group, Looking up Broadway, 1937, lithograph in black on wove paper, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.1310

Details

  • Dates

    -

  • Locations

    West Building, Ground Floor, Galleries 22 and 22A
The image depicts a cityscape viewed from ground level, surrounded by tall skyscrapers. The buildings dominate the scene, showing a style characterized by strong lines and shading. The architecture is rendered with meticulous pencil or ink lines creating depth. The color palette is primarily black, white, and shades of grey, emphasizing light and shadows. People and vehicles are present, and roads curve into the distance among the buildings. In the background, smoke or clouds drift skyward above the city. A flag prominently waves from a building on the left, adding movement to the scene.
Howard Cook, American Artists Group, Looking up Broadway, 1937, lithograph in black on wove paper, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.1310

American artists of the early 20th century sought to interpret the beauty, power, and anxiety of the modern age in diverse ways. Through depictions of bustling city crowds and breathtaking metropolitan vistas, 25 black-and-white prints in this exhibition explore the spectacle of urban modernity. Prints by recognized artists such as Louis Lozowick and Reginald Marsh, as well as lesser-known artists including Mabel Dwight, Gerald Geerlings, Victoria Hutson Huntley, Martin Lewis, and Stow Wengenroth, are included in this exhibition.

The exhibition is curated by Charles Ritchie, associate curator, department of American and modern prints and drawings, National Gallery of Art.

Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Attendance: 95,263

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