The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

City Plevins

City Plevins

c. 1939
(American, 1892–1965)
America
watercolor with graphite underdrawing on wove paper
Sheet: 39 x 29.7 cm (15 3/8 x 11 11/16 in.)
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2022.252
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Dox Thrash inscribed the work’s enigmatic title on the sheet’s verso, perhaps suggesting the promise and opportunity offered by life in northern cities such as Philadelphia during the Great Migration.

Description

For nearly half a century, Dox Thrash created evocative depictions of the everyday lives of Black Americans in Philadelphia, where he lived. This watercolor depicts apartment buildings in the north side of the city, where the artist’s own neighbors gather outside to work, play, and socialize. Thrash realistically depicted signs of wear, such as a falling shutter, but focused on the sense of community.
  • c. 1939–65
    Studio of the artist, by descent
    c. 1965
    Edna Thrash, Philadelphia, PA, given to Cathy Neal Riley and Peter Riley
    c. 1965
    Cathy Neal Riley and Peter Riley, Philadelphia, PA
    ?-2022
    (Dolan/Maxwell, Inc., Philadelphia, PA), sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    December 5, 2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Dox Thrash, Black Life, and the Carborundum Mezzotint. Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY (January 19–April 30, 2020).
    Pyramid Club, Philadelphia, PA, 1945
  • {{cite web|title=City Plevins|url=false|author=Dox Thrash|year=c. 1939|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.252