New York, New York: The City as Muse in American Art
September 19, 2003-February 18, 2004
In the 1920s Pennell wrote rhapsodically of his great inspiration, New York, and his words complement the watercolors he produced during this period:
“As the steamer moves up the bay, on its left the Great Goddess greets you, a composition in color and form, with the city beyond, finer than any in the world that ever existed. . . . Piling up higher and higher right before you is New York . . . whole palaces crowned with gold, with green, with rose; and over them the waving, fluttering plume of steam, the emblem of New York. . . . The Unbelievable City, the city that has been built since I grew up, the city beautiful, built by men I know, built for people I know. The City that inspires me, that I love.”
