From 1900-1950 there was a community of some 200 artists who lived and worked in the two blocks north of Washington Square. The artists' spaces, converted stables and townhouses, evoked the atmosphere of the Left Bank of Paris. Among the noted artists were: Paul Manship, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Gaston Lachaise, Isamu Noguchi and Edward Hopper. Virginia Budny has curated a new show (at NYU's La Maison Francaise) and authored a book on this subject - New York's Left Bank: Art and Artists off Washington Square North, 1900-1950.I was privileged, along with a handful of others, to get a tour with Virginia as guide of Hopper's studio and the areas featured in the book and show: Washington Square North, Washington Mews, MacDougal Alley, and 8th Street. The photo shows Hopper's studio with easel, a printing press, and framed photos of Hopper. The windows look out to Washington Square Park...
12 comments:
OMG, love the photo. Very Parisian! And love the 'left bank' reference. I should tell people I live on the right bank of New York City. ;-)
The title kind of threw me....Left Bank...in NYC???? And then I read the explanation...
Love the light in the second photo. Perfect studio room.
I preferred the second photo in a way, but I thought the first was a little more dramatic and would lure people into the posting better.
Brian
Your photos of the past week have all been so wonderful, Brian, that I find it hard to settle on a favourite.
This one, however, is (for me) the most moving. Like millions others, I am fascinated by the working spaces of writers and artists, if only because I know how much a room or a view can become intertwined with one's creative thinking and memories (just as the house or town one has grown up in has a special place in one's life and reflections). And, although I think it's a little extreme to treat such places as some would a chapel or mosque, I do think they are sacred places which, when possible, should be preserved.
Great photos. Thanks for the tour!!
I agree with your call on posting the first photo. I'm going through agony over picking a photo for my post tomorrow. Each angle shows a different aspect, and how do you give up something? I like how you give us extras to look at.
You can still walk around the Left Bank of Paris and this neighborhood of New York and sense the intellectual/artistic influence. For the creative person, that vibe is immediately and powerfully felt.
Great article! Thanks.
Thanks for interesting article.
Excellent website. Good work. Very useful. I will bookmark!
Brian, DO you know how to contact Virginia? SHe was my professor @ UNC-G and wI would love to re-connect with her.
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