The Hall

Antonia Nell American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 773

Nell, a student of George Bellows, was acclaimed in her day for her evocative watercolors of urban women and children. “The Hall” highlights a popular early twentieth-century entertainment: the burgeoning American film industry. A young girl, dressed up to attend a moving-picture show, stands in front of a poster that reads "Hall Tonight" and "Thursday 8 o’clock." Captured in a candid moment, the subject is sensitively rendered with precise detail—from her expectant expression to her class-specific dress, complete with an overlarge hat and parasol, seemingly borrowed for the occasion. The distinct shadow and confined space in which the figure stands add dramatic interest.

The Hall, Antonia Nell (American, 1881–1960), Watercolor on paper board, American

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Photograph by Kris Graves