Sixth Avenue and Fifty-Third Street 1935

Everett Shinn made this drawing of Sixth Avenue and Fifty-Third Street with pastel and crayon, probably on site, capturing a slice of New York life as it unfolded. The marks are quick and gestural, a way of pinning down a moment before it vanishes, like trying to catch smoke. I like how the colors are muted, almost dreamlike, as if the city is a stage set seen through a haze. Look at the figure crouched in the corner. Shinn renders him with a few strokes, yet you sense a whole world of loneliness and resilience. There’s a tension between the solid architecture and the fleeting figures, which is something that I also try to play with in my own work. Shinn reminds me a little of Degas, who was also interested in capturing modern life in a non-judgemental way. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation across time, each artist responding to what came before and adding their own mark to the ongoing story.