New York
Bruce Davidson
American, born 1933
1963
A gelatin silver print of a solitary man in a white apron seated on a bucket against a reflective metal storefront, in which Davidson aims to record the quiet dignity and inward life of an ordinary urban worker.
The image hits you with its stark contrasts—the bright, billowing apron and gleaming metal wall set against deep shadows, while the man's downcast face and folded arms give the scene a restrained, intimate stillness.
Made in early-1960s New York, this photograph is part of a humanist street-photography tradition that married formal precision with empathetic observation to reveal and dignify the everyday lives of the city's working people, shaping later documentary and art photography.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
6 5/16 × 9 3/8" (16.1 × 23.9 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the artist
Accession
434.1966
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
