Stuart Davis was a preeminent figure of American modernism, born in Philadelphia in 1892.
Stuart Davis at a glance
- Born: 1892, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Died: 1964, New York City
- Nationality: American
- Known for: Bold, jazz-inspired abstract paintings of modern American life
- Style or Movement: American modernism
- Medium: Painting
- Education: Studied under Robert Henri in New York
- Notable works: Lucky Strike (1921), Hot Still-Scape for Six Colors (1940)
“He brought a distinctively American accent to international modernism.”
Stuart Davis studied under Robert Henri at the New York School of Art and was influenced by the Ashcan School, but later developed his own unique style. He merged the bold, hard-edged style of advertising with the conventions of European avant-garde painting.
Stuart Davis’s early work was influenced by Ashcan School realism, but his style evolved toward abstraction after he saw the Armory Show in 1913.
Stuart Davis created an art endowed with vitality and dynamic rhythms that he saw as uniquely modern and American, and his vocabulary harnessed abstraction to the speed and simultaneity of modern America.
From 1939 onward, Stuart Davis rarely painted a work that did not reference one or more of his earlier compositions, making “appropriation” a distinctive aspect of his mature art.
- Born in Philadelphia in 1892.
- His work was influenced by the Armory Show of 1913.
- Merged advertising style with European avant-garde.
- Exhibited at the Whitney Museum and National Gallery.
- Died in 1964 in New York.
Stuart Davis’s art achieved a rare synthesis: an art that is resolutely abstract, yet at the same time exudes the spirit of popular culture and everyday life.
The exhibition “Stuart Davis: In Full Swing” was co-organized by the Whitney Museum and the National Gallery, highlighting Davis’s ability to transform the chaos of everyday life into a structured yet spontaneous order. Stuart Davis’s work continues to be celebrated for its vibrance and its unique American perspective.