{"data":{"id":"388","type":"artist","attributes":{"id":388,"topgoose_id":2467,"tms_id":388,"display_name":"Mabel Dwight","sort_name":"Dwight Mabel","display_date":"1876–1955","begin_date":"1876","end_date":"1955","biography":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most notable American\nprintmakers of the 1920s and 1930s, Mabel\nDwight is best known for her satirical\ndepictions of New York life. Deaf from birth,\nshe first began producing prints in 1927,\nat the age of fifty-two, and rapidly rose\nto become a key member of the American\nScene movement, which filled a growing\ndemand for realistic art based on the\neveryday experiences of ordinary Americans.\nUnlike many of her contemporaries,\nhowever, Dwight limited herself exclusively\nto the medium of lithography, circulating\nher work to a broad national audience\nin publications such as \u003cem\u003eVanity Fair\u003c/em\u003e. An astute\nobserver of the human comedy, she\ninstilled her scenes of New Yorkers riding\nthe subway, shopping, and visiting parks\nand other popular entertainments with biting\nhumor as well as compassion.\n\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ca href=\"/collection/works/4087\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Clinch, Movie Theatre\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, an early\nprint, Dwight portrays one of her favorite\nsubjects: the reactions of spectators\nat a public event. Here, moviegoers watch\nas a couple embraces in an on-screen\nclose-up—the “clinch” of the work’s title and\nthe conventional ending for romantic\nfilms of the period. The scene is filled with\namusing details, from the engrossed\naudience members, who watch openmouthed\nand with hands clasped, to the man who\nis awkwardly squeezing through the\nrow, grasping his coat and hat in his arms\nin such a way as to echo the action on\nscreen. The couple in Dwight’s depiction is\ngeneric, but may have been inspired by\nfamous on-screen pairs of the period such\nas Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.\u003c/p\u003e","on_view":true,"artport":false,"biennial":true,"collection":true,"ulan_id":"500019538","wikidata_id":"Q18150137","created_at":"2017-08-30T17:23:34.000-04:00","updated_at":"2026-03-30T07:03:13.721-04:00","links":{"artworks":"/api/artists/388/artworks","exhibitions":"/api/artists/388/exhibitions"}}}}