ARTHUR GARFIELD DOVE (American, 1880-1946). Brown Barn, 1935. Watercolor on paper. 4-3/4 x 6-3/4 inches (12.1 x 17.1 cm)...

Description

ARTHUR GARFIELD DOVE (American, 1880-1946)
Brown Barn, 1935
Watercolor on paper
4-3/4 x 6-3/4 inches (12.1 x 17.1 cm)
Signed lower center: Dove
PROVENANCE:
Alfred Stieglitz, New York;
Private collection, New York.

While studying in Paris, Arthur Dove met fellow American artist Alfred Maurer who introduced him to Matisse, Cézanne, and Picasso. Inspired by Matisse, in particular, Dove began to reduce his compositions to large areas of pure color.

This experimentation with color and abstraction continued to shape Dove's career upon his return to New York. In 1912 the photographer and modern art promoter Alfred Stieglitz organized at his gallery "291" Dove's debut solo exhibition. Here, Dove featured a series of pastels, Ten Commandments, considered radical as the first public exhibition of abstract art by an American.

In 1933 Dove inherited his parents' estate in Geneva, New York, prompting him to make his living as a farmer until poor health forced him to relocate in 1938. Moved by the beauty of the countryside, Dove created abstract works derived from the "essence of nature." Brown Barn suggests the elemental power of the rural landscape through the earth-toned, minimalist barn archetype.


More information about ARTHUR GARFIELD DOVE. See also: Dove, Arthur Garfield, Arthur Garfield Dove, Dove, Arthur, Dove, Arthur G. Artist.

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