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Angel's Flight
 During the 1930s Los Angeles was in the process of becoming the city that we know today. Between 1920 and 1930 population increased greatly and L.A. grew into a center of business and production. Take a look at this image. What do you think it might tell you about life in Los Angeles during the 1930s? Can you guess which part of the city is illustrated?
This painting is called Angel’s Flight. It is a picture of a neighborhood on Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles. During the 1930s many artists and working-class families lived there. Bunker Hill is at the top of a steep hill. The title refers to the cable railway that was built there in 1901 to carry people from Hill Street at the bottom of the hill to Olive Street at the top. In the painting we see the stairway that was also built there for people who could not afford to pay the fare.
Look again at the image. Are there clues in the details of the painting that tell us about life on Bunker Hill around the time this painting was made? The buildings and houses are full of activity. Look closely to see the many aspects of city life the artist has depicted.
Artist Millard Sheets painted this city scene in 1931. He lived in Los Angeles for many years and made paintings of everyday life in the city. Sheets and other American artists who made similar paintings are called American Scene painters.
You can see this painting in the American art galleries on the plaza level of the Ahmanson Building at LACMA.
Search Collections Online for other artworks by Millard Sheets.
Image above:
Millard Sheets (United States, 1907-1989), Angel’s Flight, 1931, oil on canvas, 50 7/16 x 40 5/8 in. (128.11 x 102.6 cm), gift of Mrs. L. M. Maitland, photo © 2004 Museum Associates/LACMA, 32.17.
Text prepared by the Education Department, LACMA, for the “Kids’ Reading Room” (Los Angeles Times, April 22, 2003).
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Artwork of the Month is intended for children but can also be a fun resource for students, teachers, and families who want to learn more about artworks in LACMA's permanent collection and special exhibitions.
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