Christopher R. W. Nevinson
English painter Christopher R.W. Nevinson first visited New York in 1919 at the invitation of his gallery and print publisher, where his prints of urban scenes and the First World War were exhibited to considerable acclaim. He was immediately impressed by the city's architecture, declaring to one New York journalist that the city was "built for me."
During the course of his month-long stay, he made numerous sketches of the city, some of which were later made up into paintings and prints. For Nevinson the skyscrapers and railways of New York epitomized the dynamism of the modern metropolis and it is quite understandable why he felt that way. In October 1920, the artist came back to New York, but this time the poor reception of his exhibition may have accelerated his disaffection with the city. His growing embitterment is perhaps reflected by the change of title, from New York - an Abstraction to The Soul of the Soulless City. The new title may have referenced Karl Marx's comment that religion was the "heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions."
P.S. New York is a city famous for its Art Deco architecture and interior design. You can discover it here.
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