Painted in 1924, "New York Pavements" is a fine example of Edward Hopper's fascination with architecture. The painting offers a bird's eye view of a house built with large grey bricks and a portico supported by four columns. The building appears to be a row house in a neoclassical style inspired by Greek and Roman architecture. The house appears to be in an upper-class neighbourhood. See more
Not only are the three steps leading up to the house and the pavement scrupulously clean, but a nanny in traditional 1900s dress is walking her child.
The time of year for the painting could be late summer or early autumn. It is still warm enough for one of the windows of the house to be open, but a breeze is blowing the white net curtain and the blue headdress of the nanny. It also seems to be a cool day, as the nanny is wearing a cape. The pram the nanny is pushing is of a rather unusual design. While most prams have a push bar at the foot end of the pram, the pram in this painting has the push bar at the head.
The season is clearly summer, as a window in the house is open and the young woman is dressed in a light blue dress and wearing a wide-brimmed hat to protect her from the sun. She seems to be waiting for someone as her hand is resting against one of the columns and she is looking into the distance.