City Lights (Madison Square Park)
Ernest Fiene, American (born Germany), 1894 - 1966
1932; published 1940
Etching on wove paper
250 in second edition [this print]; approximately 40
Plate: 11 7/8 × 9 3/16 in. (30.2 × 23.3 cm)
Sheet: 15 7/8 × 12 1/16 in. (40.3 × 30.7 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Julia L. Whittier Fund
PR.945.2
Publisher
Associated American Artists, New York
Geography
Place Made: United States, North America
Period
20th century
Object Name
Research Area
Not on view
Inscriptions
Signed, in graphite, lower right margin: Ernest Fiene -
Label
The quiet, nocturnal scene presented in Madison Square Park conveys a strong sense of separation within the urban environment. The three figures at the bottom of the composition do not interact with one another. Their faces are hidden in darkness, leaving their emotions uncertain, and the dim lighting obscures any clear understanding of their situations. The slightly elevated perspective, as though seen from a second-floor window, enhances the sense of detachment, positioning the viewer at a distance from the life below. The many lit windows in the background serve as both literal and metaphorical forms of visibility—while they suggest activity and movement, they also reinforce the theme of separation, as each window represents a private, self-contained world, further distancing the viewer from the people and actions they observe.
From the 2025 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 127, Separation Perfected, curated by Dominic Folkes ’25, Mellon Special Project Intern
Exhibition History
A Space for Dialogue 127, Separation Perfected, Dominic Folkes ’25, Mellon Special Project Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, November 8, 2025 - January 4, 2026
Provenance
Associated American Artists, New York; sold to present collection, 1945.
Catalogue Raisonne
Coven (2005): 84 (also see 67)
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