City Lights (Madison Square Park)

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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Subjects