30 X 40 Gift of Steven A. Soulios, 98.67 Not all works catalogued in the Museum's collection of urban scene paintings feature the exterior cityscape.
Some interior views convey typical components of New York City.
1 Robins has not depicted any particular pool parlor within the city, nor is the view glimpsed through the window a specific geographical setting. Instead, the picture is an atmospheric environment for the players, constructed from the artist's familiarity with local pool halls. Together, these elements create a mood both somber and active, with undercurrents of menace. The sharply angled floor, further wall, and nearer table surface form a background against which the details of doorway, window, figures, table edges, balls, and cues make a startling and compelling composition. Arthur Robins, born in Brooklyn, received his art education at Syracuse University's summer program for high school students and, later, at Pratt Institute.