New York artist Henry Schnakenberg wanted to
present a realistic view of the world around him,
and West Side captures a moment of the hustle and
bustle of city life. He closely observed the activity
of the figures milling around the subway station,
painting their clothing and the street signs around
them with great attention to detail. Although Schnakenberg
typically avoided any social commentary in his
paintings, some have speculated that the dark colors
and stormy sky in West Side may be intentional
references to the bleakness of the Depression. |
