Archibald John Motley Jr. (American, 1891–1981)
Nightlife
INV-1172
Archibald John Motley Jr. (American, 1891–1981)1943
Modernismpaintingmodern and contemporary art
Date
1943
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
91.4 × 121.3 cm (36 × 47 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by Jamee J. and Marshall Field, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Ben W. Heineman, Ruth Horwich, Lewis and Susan Manilow, Beatrice C. Mayer, Charles A. Meyer, John D. Nichols, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Byron Smith, Jr.; James W. Alsdorf Memorial Fund; Goodman Endowment Fund
A palpable energy and sense of movement enliven Nightlife, Archibald Motley’s portrayal of a crowded cabaret in the South Side neighborhood of Bronzeville in Chicago. With stylized figures, an array of diagonal lines, and heightened colors keyed to shades of magenta and violet, the artist captured the exuberance of city dwellers out on the town. Motley created a network of gestures and glances among the people, drawing attention to the various social interactions that animate the scene.
The composition is an exploration of artificial lighting. Motley was inspired, in part, to paint Nightlife after having seen Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks (1942.51), which had entered the Art Institute’s collection the prior year.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
