The Condemned Tenement, NY

Charles Henry White

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an old urban street scene. The detailed line work depicts the exterior of a building with stairs leading up to a porch area, where a figure is seated. The architecture is slightly dilapidated, with visible wooden beams and a ladder leaning against the structure. The facade shows multiple windows, some shuttered, others revealing faint silhouettes within. An archway presents a view to the background where further figures are suggested in shadow. The use of hatching and crosshatching creates intricate textures and shadows, typical of etching techniques used in creating cityscapes.