Manhattan Mosaic
George Copeland Ault
American Art
In Manhattan Mosaic, George Copeland Ault’s narrow view of urban rooftops transforms the buildings into an abstract mosaic in which architectural elements are considered purely as an aesthetic arrangement of planes and angles. The play of overlapping shapes, the harmonious blend of brown tonalities, and the deep shadows created by strong light emphasize the rich visual geometries of the modern city. At the same time, the composition’s tightly enclosed rooftop space reveals only a small view of the sky in the distance, suggesting a feeling of claustrophobia and anxiety that some associated with urban life.
MEDIUM
Oil on canvas
DATES
1947
DIMENSIONS
31 7/8 x 18 in. (81 x 45.7 cm)
Frame: 37 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (95.3 x 59.7 x 7 cm) (show scale)
SIGNATURE
Signed lower left: "G. C. Ault '47"
COLLECTIONS
American Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
66.127
CREDIT LINE
Dick S. Ramsay Fund
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
George Copeland Ault (American, 1891–1948). Manhattan Mosaic, 1947. Oil on canvas, 31 7/8 x 18 in. (81 x 45.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 66.127 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 66.127_PS1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 66.127_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Orphaned work
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