Art Whisper
Art Whisper
Saks Fifth Avenue, 1899
Step back in time to 1899 with "The Avenue," a lively lithograph that brings a bustling city street to life. Its unique technique, combining print with hand-applied pastel and gouache on pieced paper, offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era.
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This vibrant lithograph, titled "The Avenue," captures the bustling energy of a late 19th-century street scene, likely Fifth Avenue in New York City. The artwork, created in 1899, is a color lithograph enhanced with pastel and gouache, giving it a unique texture and depth. The choice of grayish-ivory China paper, pieced and secured with straight pins, adds to its distinctive character, suggesting a work that was perhaps assembled or modified over time. While the artwork is attributed to Saks Fifth Avenue, the department store, it's more probable that this was a commissioned piece or an advertisement from the period, reflecting the burgeoning commercial landscape of the era. The composition draws the viewer into a dynamic urban environment, filled with figures and architectural details that speak to the turn of the century.
Observe the subtle pastel and gouache enhancements over the lithograph.
Notice the straight pins used to secure the pieced China paper.
Look closely at the fashion and transportation of the late 1800s.
Step back in time to 1899 with "The Avenue," a lively lithograph that brings a bustling city street to life. Its unique technique, combining print with hand-ap…
From a Washington D.C. men's shop in 1867 to a Fifth Avenue icon, Saks dressed America's elite for over 150 years.
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