New York
Helen Levitt
American, 1913–2009
1972
A dye‑transfer color photograph showing a woman looking out of a New York apartment window, made to capture a quiet, unposed moment of urban life.
You notice how she is framed like a portrait inside the window—her thoughtful hand and pale sweater against patterned curtains and weathered stone, with a single glass of yellow liquid on the sill that quietly anchors the composition.
Levitt’s work helped legitimize color in documentary photography by treating everyday street moments with the compositional care and empathy of portraiture, opening the door for later photographers to find significance in ordinary urban life.
Medium
Dye transfer print
Dimensions
9 5/16 × 14 1/16" (23.7 × 35.7 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the Gilman Foundation Fund
Accession
87.1977
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
