The BoweryReginald Marsh · 1930

Identification of The Bowery by Reginald Marsh

The Bowery is a painting by Reginald Marsh created in 1930. This work depicts a crowded scene of down and out men standing along Bowery Street. Above the street level, the Third Avenue elevated railway is visible, cutting across the upper portion of the composition. The scene captures a specific segment of urban life in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s.

The subject matter focuses on the social realities of the era, specifically the presence of jobless men within the city's districts. Marsh uses the urban environment of the Bowery to document the movement and density of the population. The composition includes various signs and architectural elements characteristic of the metropolitan landscape during this period.

Composition and Visual Elements

The composition centers on a crowded scene of men positioned along Bowery Street. These figures are gathered in a dense arrangement, occupying the lower and middle planes of the work. Above the street level, the Third Avenue elevated railway is visible, cutting through the upper portion of the frame. The urban environment is defined by various pieces of signage that surround the figures, creating a layered backdrop of commercial and street markers. The arrangement of these elements establishes a sense of congestion within the city space.

A brown palette dominates the visual field, providing a monochromatic quality to the depiction of the street. This tonal range unifies the various elements of the scene, from the clothing of the men to the surfaces of the surrounding buildings. The use of these specific hues emphasizes the grit and the harsh realities of 1930s America. Light and shadow are applied to define the forms of the individuals within the crowd, maintaining a focus on the physical presence of the people in the urban setting.

Technique and Material Details

The work is executed in egg tempera on Masonite. This specific medium was adopted by the artist following an introduction to the technique in 1929. The application of tempera allows for a controlled, matte finish across the surface of the board. The color palette is characterized by brown tones, which define the tonal range of the urban scene.

The physical dimensions of the piece are 48 × 36 in. (121.9 × 91.4 cm). The use of Masonite as a support provides a rigid, smooth substrate for the tempera, facilitating the precise layering required for the detailed depiction of the street and its inhabitants. The composition relies on these layered applications to establish the density of the crowd and the architectural elements of the Bowery.

Current Collection and Provenance

This work is held within the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is categorized under the Modern and Contemporary Art department. The object is identified by the museum number 32.81.2.

The provenance of the piece includes a gift from the Arthur Hoppock Hearn Fund in 1932. This acquisition established the work's place within the permanent institutional holdings.