Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 115 works by Aaron Siskind in our catalogue
Summary
Savoy Dancers is recorded as the most famous painting of Aaron Siskind; it is held by the George Eastman Museum, Rochester. Mother and Son, from the project The Most Crowded Block (1940) and New Jersey 5 (1950) occupy the second and third entries. Of the 115 works by Aaron Siskind recorded in the catalogue, the 100 best known are listed below, each entry with its date, the holding museum and a note on the work.
In the heart of 1936, amidst the rhythmic pulse of Harlem’s legendary Savoy Ballroom, Aaron Siskind captured more than just a dance; he froze a heartbeat. Savoy Dancers is not merely a photograph but a crystallized moment of pure exhilaration, an evocative window into the soul of the Swing Era. As the Lindy Hop surged through the ballroom, Siskind’s lens caught two dancers in a breathtaking mid-motion lift, creating a…
In this 1940 photograph, titled Parade Watchers, we encounter the early, documentary-focused vision of Aaron Siskind. The image captures a quiet, unposed moment of public observation, a scene that reflects the social realities of the era. It is a candid glimpse into a shared communal experience, stripped of artifice and presented with a directness that defines Siskind's approach during this period of his career.
The photograph "Untitled (Boys in Boxes)" from the project "The Most Crowded Block" by Aaron Siskind is a thought-provoking piece that showcases the artist's ability to capture the essence of everyday life. This black and white photograph, taken in 1940, features two young boys sitting in boxes on the sidewalk, surrounded by suitcases and a book. Understanding the Context The image is part of Aaron Siskind's project "The Most Crowded…
Girl with Clothes Form1937
12
Lafayette Theater I1937
13
Lafayette Theatre1938
14
Church Interior1938
15
Street Scene1935
16
Street Market1937
17
Boys in Empty Tenement1935
18
Harlem Nightclub Singer1937
19
Revival Meeting, Storefront Church1936
20
Band at the Savoy Ballroom1937
21
Harlem Nightclub Stripper II, from the Photo League Feature Group project Harlem Document1937
22
Parade1937
23
Harlem Nightclub Dancers1937
24
Amateur Night, Apollo Theater, Harlem1937
25
Market, 8th Avenue and 135th Street, Harlem1936
26
Janitor's Wife, from the project The Most Crowded Block1940
27
Sunday Morning, from the project The Most Crowded Block1940
28
Street Scene 21940
29
Grocery Store1940
30
Watermelon Seller, from the project The Most Crowded Block1940
31
Martha's Vineyard 261953
32
St. Louis1953
33
Chicago 2241953
34
Yuchitan, Mexico1955 · Nationalmuseum
35
Untitled (from, Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation 60 )1956
36
Rome 651963
37
Rome 351963
38
Rome, Arch of Constantine 31967
39
Olmec, Villahermosa 131973
40
Peru 2381977
41
Lima 531979
42
Volcano 1031980
43
Volcano 671980
44
Volcano 1061980
45
Volcano 501980
46
Untitled, from the project The Most Crowded Block1940
47
Untitled (from Arch of Constantine 3 Rome )
48
North Carolina 91951
49
Facade, Unoccupied Building1937
50
Facades1938
51
Storefront Church Pulpit1936
52
Unemployment Council Pickets1936
53
Cook at Father Divine Mission, Harlem1935
54
Backstage, WPA Theater Project, Haiti The Story of Pierre Dominique Toussaint l'Ouverture, Lafayette Theater, Harlem, from the Photo League Feature Group project Harlem Document1937
55
Backyard1940
56
Man in Bed1940
57
Air Shaft1940
58
Watermelon Man1940
59
Street Scene I1940
60
Meatmarket Owner and Butchers, from the project The Most Crowded Block1940
61
Chicago 11948
62
Palm Springs 51949
63
Chicago 2481953
64
Martha's Vineyard 101953
65
Jerome 21949
66
Bronx I1950 · Limburg Museum
67
Martha's Vineyard 131950
68
Martha's Vineyard 111950
69
Chicago 2021953
70
Chicago 291953
71
Gloucester 121949
72
New York 61951
73
Acolman 41955
74
Chicago1956 · Harvard Art Museums
75
Martha's Vineyard1954
76
Martha's Vineyard 142B1954
77
Martha's Vineyard 1081954
78
Martha's Vineyard 1241954
79
Acolman, Mexico, 051955
80
Chicago 161957
81
Chicago 71961
82
Chicago 371960
83
Chicago 681960
84
Terracotta, Illinois1960
85
Chicago 61961
86
(Untitled)1961
87
Rome Appia Antica1963
88
Martha's Vineyard, F131969
89
Jalapa 48 (Homage to Franz Kline)1973
90
The Tree, Martha's Vineyard1973
91
Jalapa 38 (Homage to Franz Kline)1973
92
Rome 145, from the series Homage to Franz Kline1973
93
Olive Tree, Corfu 191970
94
Peru 3911977
95
Peru 3841977
96
Peru 2661977
97
Jalapa 15 1974, from the series Homage to Franz Kline1974
98
Peru 4221977
99
Lima 1371980
100
Volcano 61980
The four subjects most frequently represented among these works, each with its best-known example.
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Aaron Siskind | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 George Eastman Museum |
Rochester | 1 | Savoy Dancers |
 Nationalmuseum |
Stockholm | 1 | Yuchitan, Mexico |
 Limburg Museum |
Venlo | 1 | Bronx I |
 Harvard Art Museums |
Cambridge | 1 | Chicago |
Select a decade to display its principal painting.
Savoy Dancers, George Eastman Museum, Rochester. The following entries are Mother and Son, from the project The Most Crowded Block (1940) and New Jersey 5 (1950).
Savoy Dancers, Mother and Son, from the project The Most Crowded Block, New Jersey 5, Martha's Vineyard 114, Parade Watchers, Untitled (Boys in Boxes), from the project The Most Crowded Block, Schoolboy, Boy's Head, Harlem Nightclub Stripper I and Wishing Tree. The list above records the date and holding museum of each.
The catalogue records 115 works by Aaron Siskind, dated between 1932 and 1980.
Principally in George Eastman Museum (Rochester), Nationalmuseum (Stockholm) and Limburg Museum (Venlo). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
In 1930s: 25 of the 100 works listed on this page are dated to that period, including Schoolboy.
The earliest dated work listed here is Schoolboy (1932); the latest is Volcano 103 (1980).
Photography (5), Black and white image (3) and Urban landscape (3), out of the 100 works listed on this page.
Gelatin Silver Print, in 2 of the 100 works listed on this page.
Abstract expressionism, as documented by the works on this page.
