Looking Down Fifth Avenue, 1935

Provenance

Sherin Family Collection Sale, Taurus Auctions, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, February 23, 2025, lot 22 Private collection, New York, New York, acquired from above

Related Works

Fifth Avenue in Winter, c. 1911–1912, oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas
Columbus Circle, Winter, 1911, oil on canvas, 33½ x 40¼ inches; signed lower right: Guy Wiggins / 1911; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC

Note

Guy C. Wiggins was renowned for painting scenes of New York City (1), particularly winter cityscapes. This choice of subject matter may have been inspired by his teacher, Robert Henri (1865–1929), who encouraged his students to seek inspiration from the streets and daily life of New York City (2). This piece is an extraordinary example of his NYC winter street landscape series. His distinctive style harmoniously combines the vibrancy of the city with the tranquility of nature, establishing him as a significant figure in American Impressionism.

(1) Wiggins, Wiggins, Wiggins: Three Generations of American Art (New York: Salmagundi Club, 2011), 14.
(2) Ibid.