Fort George Hill
Artist
Preston Dickinson
(American, 1891 - 1930)
Date1915
MediumOil on linen
DimensionsFramed: 19 1/8 × 22 1/8 × 1 1/2in. (48.6 × 56.2 × 3.8cm)
Overall: 14 × 17in. (35.6 × 43.2cm)
Overall: 14 × 17in. (35.6 × 43.2cm)
ClassificationsPAINTINGS
Credit LineEdward W. Root Bequest
Terms
Object number57.132
Description On View
On viewCollections
CopyrightNo known copyright restrictions.
Label TextLike many American artists in the early 20th century, Dickinson lived in Paris to absorb the lessons of progressive painting by artists such as Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). In Fort George Hill, Dickinson composed the upper Manhattan landscape with geometric lines and vibrant color, both of which contribute to the energetic spirit of modern urban life.
Dickinson stylized forms so that the ascent from bottom to top of the scene is a series of zig-zagging switch-backs. The rounded hills are alternating yellow and green, and Dickinson placed red signs to assist the eye on its upward trajectory, from the old-fashioned, single-family house at the base to the uniform, modern high-rise apartments at top.
Mary E. Murray
