John Sloan, "The Lafayette" (1927)

"Sloan's canvas portrays the entrance to the Hotel Lafayette, located at 9th Street and University Place in Greenwich Village, which was a popular haunt for the neighborhood's writers and artists, including Sloan. Descending on the the hotel's double awning-covered stairways is a group of genial people who are finishing their dinner conversations as a doorman hails a distinctive New York yellow Checker taxicab. In his 1944 book Gist of Art, Sloan lauded the hotel: 'To the passerby not looking for modern glitter, it has always had a look of cheer and comfort, particularly on such a wet evening as this.'
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ephemeral New York - A Ninth Street cafe beloved by artists and writers
Metropolitan Museum of Art