Artwork
The Cathedrals of Broadway
The Cathedrals of Broadway is an oil painting by Florine Stettheimer. It dates from 1929 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Neon letters spell out the Strand, Rialto, and Roxy above a proscenium arch where a stage show plays beneath a flickering newsreel.
Neon letters spell out the Strand, Rialto, and Roxy above a proscenium arch where a stage show plays beneath a flickering newsreel. Florine Stettheimer painted Broadway's theater district in 1929 as the first of her four Cathedral panels, turning the entertainment corridor into a secular shrine lit by uniformed ushers and glowing marquees. The Met holds the canvas, a 1953 gift from the artist's sister Ettie.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the interior and exterior spaces of a Broadway theatre, with a marquee, box office, lobby, proscenium stage, ushers, and a revue in progress. Men and women appear among the audience and personnel, and a newsreel is also shown. This assemblage of theatrical elements, from the street-level marquee to the stage performance, captures the multifaceted spectacle of Broadway entertainment, suggesting both the commercial and performative aspects of the theatre district.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 152.7 by 127.3 centimeters. Stettheimer’s handling of the medium renders a complex interior view that incorporates multiple architectural and performance elements typical of a Broadway theater, newsreel, proscenium, stage, box office, lobby, marquee, ushers, and revue. The formal composition is dense and decorative, reflecting the artist’s stylized, theatrical approach. No information on condition is available from the sources.
Overview
Florine Stettheimer completed The Cathedrals of Broadway in 1929, initiating a four-part series that explored iconic Manhattan locations. This oil painting, approximately five feet tall, captures the vibrant energy of Times Square's theater district. It transforms the bustling entertainment hub into a grand, stage-like spectacle, reflecting the artist's unique vision and her engagement with New York City's cultural landscape at the close of the 1920s.
History & Provenance
The Cathedrals of Broadway was acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1953. The painting entered the museum's collection as a gift from Ettie Stettheimer, the artist's sister. Notably, Ettie chose to preserve this work, along with others by Florine, despite her sister's explicit request that her canvases be destroyed after her death.
The painting now resides permanently at the Met, displayed alongside the other three works from the "Cathedrals" series.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Florine Stettheimer (August 19, 1871 – May 11, 1944) was an American modernist painter, feminist, theatrical designer, poet, and salonnière.
