Street Scene
1930s
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching and aquatint
Dimensions
Image: 260 x 161 mm Sheet: 284 x 185 mm
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams
Accession Number
2008.115.1396
Art Historical Context
**Street Scene** by John Davies the pulse of urban life in the 1930s through the delicate medium of etching and aquat. Measuring 260 x 161 mm on the image plate (sheet: 284 x 185 mm), this exemplifies the precision of intaglio techniques, where etching creates sharp lines for architectural details and figures, while aquatint subtle tonal gradations to evoke atmosphere—shadows on cobblestones, the haze of city air. Popular in the early 20th century, these methods allowed artists like Davies to produce nuanced, editioned works that democratized fine art. Created during the Great Depression era,...