Tattoo and Haircut

One of the foremost realists of the 1930s, Reginald Marsh was fascinated by public behavior and excited by the commotion of New York City. Tattoo and Haircut portrays a busy scene of people talking, walking, and loitering below the massive structure of the elevated train that ran over the Bowery, then an area notorious for brothels, tattoo parlors, and transitory lodging. Marsh filled every inch of the composition with details, ranging from architectural elements to signs and text. Marsh used tempera—a medium that dries quickly—almost as if he were drawing. He added successive layers of muted colors resulting in a mottled, uneven surface that emphasizes the gritty nature of this world. His rapid, sketchy technique thus reinforced his presentation of the subject as cacophonous, dilapidated, and dim yet vibrantly alive.