The Temples of New York

The British artist C. R. W. Nevinson traveled to New York twice, in 1919 and 1920. He became captivated by the city’s architecture and urban landscape, which stood in stark contrast to his native London. Nevinson was especially impressed by the modern high-rise buildings, which he described as a "triumph of man." Their rhythmic, geometric forms seamlessly matched his modernist aesthetic and inspired numerous sketches, paintings, etchings, and lithographs. In this print, made after a painting of the same subject, he appears to contrast the architectural achievements of the Old and New Worlds. The spire of the Neo-Gothic Trinity Church, once the tallest building in the city, is surrounded by chimneys, water towers, and other buildings that far exceed the church’s height of 281 feet.