Ochre Editions
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The 20th century

Works made in the 20th century, anywhere in the world.

189 works · hang 1152 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

Section 1, north wall

  1. Alfred Henry Maurer
    Woman in BlackAlfred Henry Maurer, (c. 1904)Courtesy of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution
  2. Artist: Marion H. Beckett, Sitter: Theresa Helburn, Current owner: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
    Theresa HelburnMarion H. Beckett, 1922Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
  3. Eddyville, by Samuel Halpert, 1917
    EddyvilleSamuel Halpert, 1917Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 1, south wall

  1. A six-story, narrow building stands alone in an otherwise unoccupied lot under the deck of a high bridge, with a river and cityscape in the background in this horizontal painting. Dozens of people, small in scale, are each painted with a few swipes of black and some with peach-colored faces. They gather at the foot of the building and around a fire to our left, near the lower left corner of the composition. The fire is painted with a dash of orange, a few touches of canary yellow, and a smudge of gray smoke. Several more people stand and sit against the building, which has a streetlamp near its entrance. The back end of the building angles away from us to our right, so we see the narrow, front entrance side to our left. Each of the six floors of the building has two windows with fire escape ladders on the narrow side we can see. Some strokes in red and white on the lower levels of the long, flat side of the building suggest signs or posters. The top story glows a warm sienna brown in sunlight, while the rest of the building and the scene below are in shadow. More people walk along a grayish-violet fence that encloses the lot beyond the building. The ground is painted thickly with slate gray, pale, sage green, and one smear of white to suggest snow. To our right and a short distance from us, a white horse pulls a carriage near the foot of the bridge. The ivory-white, concrete piling rises up and off the right edge of the canvas and supports the deck of the bridge above. Only a sliver of the brick-red underside of the bridge is visible, skimming the top edge of the painting in the upper right corner. Two twiggy, barren trees grow up beyond the muted purple fence, and the landscape beyond is bright in the sunlight. A terracotta-orange building rises along the left edge of the painting, with the area between it and the lot under the bridge filled with thickly painted patches of butter yellow, amethyst purple, and sage green. Beyond that, an ice-blue river flows across the composition. The shore beyond is lined with patches of beige and tan paint that could be buildings. A black tugboat puffs bright white smoke in the river. The sky above is frosty white. The artist signed the work with dark blue in the lower left corner of the painting, “Geo Bellows.”
    The Lone TenementGeorge Bellows, 1909Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. This is a drawing of an abstract shape or artifact. The image features a central black object positioned against a plain, light-colored background. The object has a slightly irregular, elongated triangular form with rounded edges and contours. It includes a series of geometric holes and protrusions. The subtle shadowing suggests a three-dimensional form, yet the drawing maintains a simplicity that emphasizes the object's unique contours and cutouts.
    BootjackClaude Marshall, c. 1940Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Dark twilight scene of a a brightly illuminated white cottage along the shore of an expansive body of water, seen through a thick of silhouetted trees.
    Fisherman's CottageHarald Oscar Sohlberg, 1906Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 2, south wall

  1. This is a painting of a decorative wooden chest. The chest has intricate designs, such as painted figures, trees, and animals, creating a narrative scene on its front side, and floral motifs on its sides. The craftsmanship suggests it is an ornate object, potentially used for storage or as an ornamental piece. The painting focuses on the texture and details of the wood and decoration with precision, in a traditional arts and crafts or folk art style, emphasizing fine detail and storytelling through imagery on functional furniture.
    Jewel CabinetCharles Henning, c. 1939Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. THE TRIUMPH OF UNCLE SAM
    The Triumph of Uncle SamVictor Wilbour, 1917Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  3. My Day at Home, by William H. Howe, 1906
    My Day at HomeWilliam H. Howe, 1906Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  4. André Bénac, by Édouard Vuillard, 1936
    André BénacÉdouard Vuillard, 1936Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. Calligraphic Interior, by H. Lyman Saÿen, ca. 1915
    Calligraphic InteriorH. Lyman Saÿen, ca. 1915Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. This print depicts a grayscale desert landscape with a prominent saguaro cactus to the left. In the background, rocky mountains are visible in the darkness. The sky shows a crescent moon and a bright star through an opening in the soft gray clouds. Sparse desert vegetation is faintly visible on the ground, and more cacti can be seen in the distance.
    New Moon and Evening StarGeorge Elbert Burr, c. 1932Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. In the Cascade Mountains, by Edward Bruce, 1931
    In the Cascade MountainsEdward Bruce, 1931Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  4. On the Beach, No. 3, by Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18
    On the Beach, No. 3Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 3, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of a wooden chair with detailed upholstery. The chair has an ornate, high backrest with elaborate scrollwork and a woven central panel. The seat is cushioned and covered with a floral patterned fabric. There is also a separate drawing of the fabric pattern used on the seat and a sketch of one of the chair's legs to show the craftsmanship and decorative elements.
    Side ChairUnrecorded American maker, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Watercolor no. 31, Landscape with Clouds, by Allen Tucker, ca. 1930
    Watercolor no. 31, Landscape with CloudsAllen Tucker, ca. 1930Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum