{"data":{"id":"841","type":"artist","attributes":{"id":841,"topgoose_id":1338,"tms_id":841,"display_name":"Reginald Marsh","sort_name":"Marsh Reginald","display_date":"1898–1954","begin_date":"1898","end_date":"1954","biography":"\u003cp\u003eWith his staccato brushwork and densely\npacked compositions, Reginald Marsh\ncaptured the vitality of New York in the\n1930s. Though born into a wealthy family,\nMarsh set out to portray everyday urban\ndwellers—pedestrians, subway riders,\nConey Island bathers, burlesque performers,\nand dance-hall workers. \u003ca href=\"/collection/works/1559\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eTwenty Cent\nMovie\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, like many of his compositions, relies\non authentic details—here, the precise\nimagery, wording, and typeface of the movie\nmarketing campaigns—to activate a\nsense of realism. A prolific and inveterate\nsketcher, Marsh made extensive drawings\nfor the composition of this painting,\nwhich he based on the facade of the Lyric\nTheater. The meticulously replicated theater\nexterior that serves as the painting’s\nbackdrop resembles a stage set, in front\nof which the scene’s figures are poised\nfor action. The women mimic the fashionable\nstyles of Hollywood actresses, while the\nman on the far right adopts a self-assured\nposture in the type of flamboyant suit\nsported by the gangsters of 1930s cinema.\nIn an era when Hollywood movie stars\nbecame national celebrities, Marsh’s\ncharacters reflect the bright aspirations\nprojected on the silver screen, but the scene\nis not without reference to the period’s\neconomic turbulence. The painting’s title,\n\u003cem\u003eTwenty Cent Movie\u003c/em\u003e, reiterated on the\nbox-office sign, alludes to the drop in ticket\nprices at some theaters to entice an\naudience during the Great Depression.\u003c/p\u003e","on_view":false,"artport":false,"biennial":true,"collection":true,"ulan_id":"500016727","wikidata_id":"Q7308806","created_at":"2017-08-30T16:20:23.000-04:00","updated_at":"2026-04-25T01:32:56.317-04:00","links":{"artworks":"/api/artists/841/artworks","exhibitions":"/api/artists/841/exhibitions"}}}}