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Steeplechase

Milton Avery American
1929
Not on view
By the time Avery painted this rather muted depiction of Brooklyn’s Coney Island, the popular amusement park and beach had for decades been attracting artists and photographers, lured by scenes of boisterous human activity and the implicit surrealism of the park’s escapist attractions. Curiously, Avery’s interpretation of Coney Island features only a small group of bathers in the foreground, most of whom appear isolated from one another. The Steeplechase, roller coaster (the famous Cyclone), and carousel behind them show no sign of movement. Thus, the painter seems to show the park during off-season, when its promise of joy and frivolity is forestalled until the following spring.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Steeplechase
  • Artist: Milton Avery (American, Altmar, New York 1885–1965 New York)
  • Date: 1929
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 32 × 40 in. (81.3 × 101.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Sally M. Avery, 1984
  • Object Number: 1984.527
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Milton Avery
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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Twisted Tree, Milton Avery American, Drypoint
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Milton Avery
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Sally with Beret, Milton Avery American, Drypoint
Sally with Beret
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1939

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