José Clemente Orozco The Subway 1928

  • MoMA, Floor 5, 509 The David Geffen Wing

On his second stay in New York, Orozco made many works reflecting the city’s urban expansion and social dimension. The Subway presents several commuters on New York’s emblematic public transportation system, which first opened in 1904. The shadowy, stone-faced passengers impart a sense of melancholy to the scene, contrasting with the shiny train poles. A highly regarded artist in Mexico, Orozco struggled to find recognition in New York despite showing at several local galleries and completing a five-panel mural cycle at the New School in 1931.

Gallery label from 2020
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
16 1/8 x 22 1/8" (41 x 56.2 cm)
Credit
Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
Object number
203.1935
Copyright
© 2023 José Clemente Orozco / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico
Department
Painting and Sculpture

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