Broadway Circus and Olympic Theatre, Broadway between Howard and Grand Streets, New York
Medium
Watercolor and ink
Dimensions
sheet: 14 3/8 x 12 in. (36.5 x 30.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession, transferred from the Library
Accession Number
21.36.236
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate watercolor and ink drawing, created anonymously by an American artist in 1821, offers a vivid snapshot of New York City's bustling Broadway between Howard and Grand Streets. It captures the Broadway Circus and Olympic Theatre, two prominent entertainment venues that anchored the area's lively theater district in the early th century. At a modest sheet size of 143/8 x 12 inches, the work exemplifies the topographical views popular among artists documenting the rapid growth of lower Manhattan. Historically, this scene reflects New York’s transformation into a cultural hub post-War...