Old Chinatown, San Francisco

Childe Hassam

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an interior courtyard with a staircase. The scene shows a narrow alley or courtyard with a central, wooden staircase leading upwards to a platform. The structure around the staircase is made of wooden beams and boards, and there are various objects scattered around the bottom of the staircase. A small figure stands at the top, highlighted by the lighter area around it. Natural light streams in from above, illuminating the textures and creating a serene atmosphere.