“This color woodcut offers a serene glimpse into a specific New York City street, using a delicate technique to capture the quiet atmosphere of an urban moment. Its unique format and subtle tones invite a closer, more contemplative look.”
In "Alan - 32 East 65th Street," a quiet urban scene unfolds with a striking sense of depth and atmosphere. The color woodcut technique, applied to ivory Japanese paper, lends a soft, almost painterly quality to the composition, allowing for subtle gradations of tone and color that evoke a specific time of day or weather. The long, horizontal format draws the eye across the streetscape, suggesting a wide, panoramic view of a particular moment in New York City. The choice of a specific address in the title grounds the image in a tangible reality, inviting viewers to imagine the stories held within these buildings and the life of the person named Alan. This print captures a mood of quiet observation, transforming an everyday street into a contemplative scene.
- Artist
- Karl Heffner
- Medium
- Color woodcut on ivory Japanese paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Image: 17.5 × 42 cm (6 15/16 × 16 9/16 in.); Sheet: 30.4 × 62.1 cm (12 × 24 1/2 in.)
- Collection
- Prints and Drawings
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Gift of Louis Pomerantz
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The way the colors subtly blend, creating a soft, hazy light.
The texture of the ivory Japanese paper, visible beneath the print.
The architectural details of the buildings along 65th Street.
The long, narrow format, emphasizing the street's expanse.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Alan - 32 East 65th Street — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Karl Heffner
1849–1925 · GermanyKarl Heffner was a German landscape painter known for atmospheric, softly lit river and twilight scenes in the tradition of Corot and the Barbizon school.
Further Works by Heffner
Two Girls in a Garden
1914 · Art Institute of Chicago
Back Teria One Oh! One
Art Institute of Chicago
Macy's Jet Set
Art Institute of Chicago
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Art Institute of Chicago
You Scratch My Back and I'll Scratch Yours
Art Institute of Chicago
The Embrace
1918 · Art Institute of Chicago
Portrait of a Woman
1868 · Art Institute of Chicago
Carnival Figures
1919 · Art Institute of Chicago
