G. Harvey (American, 1933-2017) Commerce Along the Avenue, 1983 Oil on canvas 24 x 36 inches (61.0 x 91.4 cm) Signed and dated lower right: G. Harvey / 1983 Date, titled, and inscribed with artist's stamp on the stretcher: #4950 / Commerce Along the Avenue / 1983 Signed, dated, titled, and inscribed on the backing board: #4950 / Commerce Along the Avenue / G. Harvey / 1983 / All copyrights / are reserve by / G. Harvey In Commerce Along the Avenue, G. Harvey returns to one of his most beloved themes: an American city at a time of transition. Looking up rainy Congress Ave. towards the Texas State Capitol, competing vignettes illustrate the rapid restructuring of this community. To the left, a horse and rider pass by the hitch rail of a nearby storefront, packhorse in tow. On the right, a crowd silhouetted in glowing windows stands by a new automobile. The trolley in between is a temporal link and a literal dividing line between these two ways of life. In the subtle bias of G. Harvey's framing, the saddled rider sits high, his head above even the roofs of the trolley cars. He rides south, away from the Capitol, a lone cowboy surrounded by the orange glow of technological progress. The tension of this painting, the rugged individualism of the old frontier amidst the bustling new city perfectly captures multifaceted beginning of an American century. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice