Steeplechase

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

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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