Lower Manhattan

Thomas James Delbridge, Lower Manhattan, 1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.51
Copied Thomas James Delbridge, Lower Manhattan, 1934, oil on canvas, 26 1⁄8 x 30 1⁄4 in. (66.3 x 76.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor, 1964.1.51

Artwork Details

Title
Lower Manhattan
Artist
Date
1934
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
26 1⁄8 x 30 1⁄4 in. (66.3 x 76.9 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Cityscape — wharf
  • Cityscape — New York — New York
  • Architecture Exterior — commercial — skyscraper
  • New Deal — Public Works of Art Project — New York City
  • Waterscape — harbor — New York Harbor
Object Number
1964.1.51
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1964.1.51

Artwork Description

Lower Manhattan's glorious skyscrapers inspired all New Yorkers, including the city's artists, through the worst hardships of the Great Depression. Looking from the dock of a harbor island, Thomas Delbridge showed the dark mouths of Manhattan's ferry terminals; above them ever taller buildings climb out of red shadows into gold and white sunshine. The crisply outlined forms evoke such famous structures as the Woolworth Building to the left and the Singer Building to the right without placing the buildings precisely or describing specific details. The skyscraper at the center suggests the mighty Empire State Building as it had stood incomplete before its triumphant opening on May 1, 1931. Even as the stock market foundered and thousands were thrown out of work, New Yorkers had gathered in excited throngs to watch their tallest tower rise. The Manhattan skyscrapers in the painting appear to be pushing back dark clouds, creating an oasis of brilliant blue around the island.

1934: A New Deal for Artists exhibition label

Related Books

1934_500.jpg
1934: A New Deal for Artists
During the Great Depression, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a “new deal for the American people,” initiating government programs to foster economic recovery. Roosevelt’s pledge to help “the forgotten man” also embraced America’s artists. The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) enlisted artists to capture “the American Scene” in works of art that would embellish public buildings across the country. Although it lasted less than one year, from December 1933 to June 1934, the PWAP provided employment for thousands of artists, giving them an important role in the country’s recovery. Their legacy, captured in more than fifteen thousand artworks, helped “the American Scene” become America seen.