| Bishop, Isabel (1902-1988) , American painter and printmaker, known for her realistic depictions of men and women on the streets of New York City. A keen observer of behavior and appearance, Bishop was fascinated by the bustle of street life. Most of her work focuses on everyday activity in and around New York City's Union Square, where she maintained a studio for more than 50 years. Bishop’s paintings, drawings, and prints display masterful draftsmanship, a solid underlying structure, and sharp contrasts of light and dark tones. Among her most memorable subjects are working-class women, whom she captured in relaxed and natural poses—lounging, chatting, or reading. Bishop gave her figures a classical dignity that contrasts with their mundane activities and modern surroundings. In the 1950s she created a series of New York City subway scenes. From the 1960s through the 1980s she focused on studies of men and women engaged in the simple act of walking. Bishop was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and spent her childhood in Detroit, Michigan. She moved to New York City at the age of 16, to study at the New York School of Applied Design for Women. In the early 1920s she took classes at the Art Students League, where American painter and teacher Kenneth Hayes Miller encouraged her and fellow student Reginald Marsh to observe and paint the urban scene around them. She and Marsh, along with other realist artists who lived near Union Square during the 1930s, became known as the Fourteenth Street School. In their desire to portray city life realistically, they were heirs to the Ashcan School, a group of artists led by American painter Robert Henri and named for their emphasis on depicting the grittier side of city life. See also Prints and Printmaking: 20th-Century American Prints. |
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