Reginald Marsh

Peter Hopkins, New York (acquired directly from the artist)

Christie's East New York, 15 April 1980, lot 229 (consigned by the above)

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Reginald Marsh operates between the lines of Regionalism and Social realism, climbing to fame during the great depression and a time of American artistic expansion. Marsh began his career as a cartoonist for the New Yorker while actively taking classes at the Arts Student League. Marsh later went on to teach in the early 1930’s at the League alongside his long term friend Peter Hopkins, who was given the present work. His paintings exemplify the underlying truths of New York City in the 30’s and 40’s – depicting burlesque halls, subways and Coney Island with a Renaissance style structure. Marsh explores the “possibility of elevating low life topics he had illustrated into fine art by using the formal underpinnings of traditional art derived by old masters.” (Franklin Perrell, Reginald Marsh and Infamous New York, Roslyn Harbor, New York, 2006, p. 4)

In Passing Diversion, Marsh creates a scene of halted commotion – the men who are crowded around one another all pause and stare while the woman passes by. Marsh often includes women as a focal point in his paintings, he is quoted saying, “it is hard to go through a composition without putting in a woman, which is always to me a stimulus to paint.” (as quoted in the catalog of the Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting, 1951 p. 99) The figures’ details are carved out in light colors and sketchy gray lines, in juxtaposition to the bold green of the woman’s dress. Marsh combines classical dimensions with inherently modern subjects. This painting is a prime example of his overall portrayal of New York as “brimming with life, vitality and more than a hint of sexuality.” (Perrell, Reginald Marsh and Infamous New York, p. 3) Marsh devoted his artistic career to a passionate portrayal of New York City’s unique culture through the use of classical techniques.