On Avenue A

Mary Abastenia St. Leger Eberle

1914 · Bronze · The American Wing

In the early twentieth century, Avenue A on New York’s Lower East Side was a teeming, vibrant locale for recent immigrants. In 1914 Eberle moved to nearby Madison Street and modeled On Avenue A, two girls dancing in the street to the hurdy gurdy, a crank-turned musical instrument. A committed social activist and suffragist, Eberle saw her art as means of expressing the beauty of the human experience regardless of class or origin. Here she presents a compassionate view of the urban poor at play, focusing on the unreserved happiness of the duo with symmetrical poses, animated faces, and swirling skirts.

Artist

Mary Abastenia St. Leger Eberle

Date

1914

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of the American Wing Fund, 2021