Mid-Century Empire State Building Painting . Artist Paints all 102 stories of Empire State Building, ca. 1940

While most can not even count all 102 stories of the Empire State Building, artist Alice Smith accurately paints each and every story with exacting detail and proportion. The painting was most likely done on assignment. The monolithic protagonist of the painting is more than meticulously rendered against a schematized background of midtown Manhattan. It's hard to date exactly when it was done since we do not have any other real buildings to compare it to. At street level, Alice Smith has proportionally painted in pedestrians. There are two themes to this work. Architectural exactitude and portraits of people as ants. An American flag blowing in the wind, punctuates the composition. Signed lower right Alice Smith.

Alice Smith, American, 1876–1958

Oil on Board - 18. 5 - 12.85 inches 

US$12,000 Plus Shipping