Grand Central at Night
Artist
Walter Ernest Tittle
(American, 1883 - 1966)
Dateca. 1930
MediumEtching and drypoint on paper
DimensionsOverall: 12 7/8 × 7 7/8 inches (32.69 × 19.99 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Frances M. Logan
Object number53-51/36
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelWalter Ernest Tittle, a magazine illustrator and printmaker, was fascinated by New York, the city that never sleeps. In this nocturnal scene, the façade of New York’s busy main transportation hub looms at the left. The upper stories of neighboring skyscrapers disappear into the inky darkness. Cars park along 42nd Street while pedestrians venture into the night. Despite these rich details, light seems to be Tittle’s main subject. Light glows from beneath awnings to silhouette passersby, causing them to cast long shadows. Light shines from hundreds of windows. Light reflects off the street and sidewalk, both glistening in a way that suggests a recent rain. Tittle’s talent is making us forget that his light is not actually luminescent, but merely paper.
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