Artist/Maker
Paul Lantz
(American, 1908 - 2000)
Gramercy Park, New York City
1940
Oil on canvas
Overall: 36 × 48 in. (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Purchase, James B. Wilbur Fund
1940.201
Depicting a dreary early winter day in NYC, this painting illustrates and comments on the immutable, yet fashionable character of New Yorkers, especially NY women. Contrasting greatly with the bleak and desolate weather, the women portrayed in this scene are depicted as beacons of color, adorned in chic blue, yellow, and red outfits. With this painting, the artist affirms the reputation of Gramercy Park, NYC's only remaining private park, as a center of elegance, fashion, and exclusivity.
DescriptionThis Paul Lantz painting illustrates a bustling tree-lined avenue overlooking Gramercy Park. Even though it appears to be a rather cold and dreary day, the streets are full of activity. At least eight people are depicted in the scene; five women and three men. The foremost figures (from left to right) are a woman in a yellow ensemble walking a dog by a fire hydrant, a woman in blue wheeling a baby carriage, and a woman in red shortly followed by a mustached man in a black coat and hat. The only greenery in Gramercy Park that has persisted throughout the autumn are patches of grass, which are surrounded by barren trees and shrubbery. A vacant flagpole stands next to the famous Edwin Booth statue, a tribute to a great 19th century Shakespearian actor. Several tall gray, brown, and yellow buildings line the background. In the far left, an overpass connects one set of buildings to another. Signed in lower right: Paul Lantz 1940ClassificationsPAINTINGS
