On Avenue A

Founder Cast by B. Zoppo American
1914
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 772
In the early twentieth century, Avenue A on New York’s Lower East Side was a teeming, vibrant locale for recent immigrants. In 1914 Eberle moved to nearby Madison Street and modeled On Avenue A, two girls dancing in the street to the hurdy gurdy, a crank-turned musical instrument. A committed social activist and suffragist, Eberle saw her art as means of expressing the beauty of the human experience regardless of class or origin. Here she presents a compassionate view of the urban poor at play, focusing on the unreserved happiness of the duo with symmetrical poses, animated faces, and swirling skirts.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: On Avenue A
  • Artist: Mary Abastenia St. Leger Eberle (American, Webster City, Iowa 1878–1942 New York)
  • Founder: Cast by B. Zoppo (American, New York)
  • Date: 1914
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 14 1/2 × 8 × 5 1/2 in. (36.8 × 20.3 × 14 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of the American Wing Fund, 2021
  • Object Number: 2021.269
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.