This Week:
What: Sidewalk Art Dealer.
Why: Looking at this image is like a treat of looking at dozens of scenes all tied up into a single unifying overall scene that is very easy for the viewer to escape into. Some of these paintings look amazing to me, so my eyes are constantly scanning the overall image to appreciate all the different elements.
When: Handwriting on mount identifies the date as May 21, 1949.
Where: New York, NY. Finding the specific location is more challenging. The main clues are the art show (where would people be likely selling art in NYC in 1949?), the shadows that seem to put this scene on the west (or north) side of the street, a rather fuzzy number above the large beige door that seems to read "121" or "131" along with the interesting brick pattern next to the door, and the unusual window ledge alignment on the wall that allow the seller to squeeze a few more paintings into his sidewalk gallery. My overriding thought is that this is an image from the May 1949 Washington Square Outdoor Art Show, but I've done Google Street View searches for the "100 block" of nearly every street in a mile radius of Washington Square, with particular emphasis on West 3rd Street and MacDougal Street and have not found buildings to match these. At this rate, I'm presuming the original street level facades have been modified (or the buildings demolished) since this photo was taken.
Who: Unsure, though the paintings could very likely give some clues as to the artist. I've tried some Google image searches on terms like "Central Park Painting 1949" but with no luck. Unfortunate, as I like his work a lot more than Thomas Kinkade. I'd really love one of the rainy twilight paintings featured here!
How (much): $6.00 on an ebay "Best Offer" listing. Given the amount of captivating interest within this 65 year old original slide, I feel like it was an absolute bargain!
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