Object Details
Artist
Maurice Kish, born Dvinsk, Russia 1895-died New York City 1987
Luce Center Label
End of Day's Toil captures dozens of men streaming out of two factories into a city street. A single street lamp casts an eerie glow over the snow-covered scene while smoke billows out of the factory smokestacks behind them. The men's bowed heads convey their exhaustion after a long, hard day's work, but the smoke serves as a reminder that they will have to return to the same tomorrow. Kish based the factory buildings in the foreground on New York's Domino Sugar factory, located on the East River and shown here with boats in the background. These were actually two separate buildings, but he added the covered walkway between them to unify his composition. Twenty years later, when he returned to the neighborhood, he was surprised to see that a covered walkway now did join the two buildings.
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist
Date
ca. 1932
Object number
1977.82.1
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
43 x 32 1/8 in. (109.2 x 81.5 cm)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Painting and Sculpture
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Figure group
Waterscape\harbor
Occupation\labor
Architecture\industry\factory
Cityscape\season\winter
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_1977.82.1