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The Battery, New York

Stanford White

1900

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Cityscape

Dominant colour

The Battery, New York is a 1900 graphite by Stanford White, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Stanford White
When & what style?: 1900
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a quick, loose drawing of two buildings on a narrow street. The lines are rough and fast, like someone scribbling down shapes and shadows. One building has a balcony with a few people on it, and the other looks like a warehouse with a flat roof. The paper is green, and the artist used only graphite, making the whole thing look like a sketchbook page. The buildings lean slightly, giving the street a crooked feel. Next, check out technique: chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow work in drawings like this.