A Monday Washing, New York City

American 20th Century, Detroit Photographic Company

National Gallery of Art

This photograph shows an elevated view of a densely packed urban area. The horizon is near the top of the frame, with distant city skyscrapers in the background behind a light blue sky. Closest to us, laundry lines crisscross between tenement buildings, carrying colorful clothes and linens in shades of white, light blue, light pink, and yellow. The clothes overlap, crossing through the center of the image. The tan and brown buildings form a corridor leading to the far row of buildings, with the open sky above them. The colors range from pastel and muted tones to earthy colors.