Man lying down, subway steps
1965
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
overall: 33.2 x 25.2 cm (13 1/16 x 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
New Century Fund, Fund for Living Photographers
Accession Number
1999.67.2
Art Historical Context
In Roy DeCarava's *Man Lying Down, Subway Steps* (1965), a gelatin silver print measuring 33.2 x 25.2 cm, we encounter an intimate glimpse of urban life in New York City. DeCarava, a pioneering American photographer, captured the everyday poetry of Harlem and its inhabitants during the Civil Rights era. This image depicts a solitary figure resting on gritty subway stairs, evoking vulnerability and quiet resilience amid the city's bustle. DeCarava's mastery of gelatin silver printing shines here, producing deep, velvety blacks and subtle tonal gradations that infuse the scene with emotional de...