I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold
Charles Demuth · 1928
Why it's great
A big golden number 5 repeats on a dark background, with fire engine lights and sounds. Charles Demuth based it on a poem by his friend William Carlos Williams, about a fire truck racing through the city at night. The painting seems to speed past. It's one of the icons of American modern art.
Where to see it
📍 Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York City, United States
Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Charles Demuth was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and studied art in Philadelphia and Paris. He was a leading American modernist known for crisp, precise paintings of buildings and factories. He lived with diabetes for most of his adult life. He died in Lancaster in 1935.
