Existing comment:
Frenzied Effort
Peggy Bacon's keenly observed, witty images capture the camaraderie of artists' communities in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. In this print, she represents the "frenzied effort" of art students packed into a claustrophobic sketching class at the Whitney Studio Club on West Fourth Street. Established in 1918 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the Club provided artists with exhibition space, a library, and the opportunity to sketch from live models.
Whereas traditional art schools and academies segregated women and men, at the Whitney they worked side by side as equals. Among the identifiable caricatures are Mabel Dwight (1876–1955) in a large hat (seated, left) and the balding, rotund Reginald Marsh (1898–1954; top left center). Bacon's diminutive figure is tucked discretely behind Marsh. As a communal gathering place where artists could share their work and exchange ideas, the Whitney Studio Club helped accelerate modern art trends.
Peggy Bacon, 1925 |