The Calico Sellers
Date1909
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsCanvas: 16 1/16 × 21 13/16 inches (40.8 × 55.4 cm)
Framed: 26 5/8 × 32 5/8 × 3 1/4 inches (67.6 × 82.9 × 8.3 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase.
Object number1921.2
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextJerome Myers achieved recognition for portrayals of tenement life on the Lower East Side of New York, typified by scenes such as The Calico Sellers. Born in Virginia, he endured an impoverished childhood, subsequently residing in Philadelphia and Baltimore before arriving in New York in 1886. He worked as a sign painter and studio model, then began studying art at Cooper Union and the Art Students League. This painting presents a dynamic, colorful scene in the Lower East Side’s bustling downtown commercial district. Myers found this area, which was generally considered bleak and depressing, to be a rich source of subject matter for his art.
