George Braziller

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Arthur Dove: Watercolors and Pastels

George Braziller; Melanie Kirschner; Arthur Garfield Dove

Synopsis:
The watercolors and pastels of the early American modern artist Arthur Dove (1880-1946) are among his most luminous and sensitive images of the American landscape. However, the role of these works in Dove's artistic development has never been adequately explored. This is the first book to focus exclusively on these works -- many of which have never before been published. Beginning with Dove's pastel series of 1911-12, Kirschner considers the independent significance of these works as well as their influence upon Doves oil paintings. His use of pastel was crucial to his approach to the materials of painting throughout his career, and indeed established his artistic goals from 1910 -- 1925. His landmark pastel series The Ten Commandments represents American modernism's first breakthrough into abstraction. Watercolor occupied Dove for much of the second half of his career, throughout the 1930s and 40s. Executed in the woods, on boats, and on the train, these exquisite works acted as a visual diary allowing Dove to record his initial, spontaneous responses to nature. Ms. Kirschner's book re-establishes a much-deserved focus on these works of Dove, and will be of deep interest to both scholars and lovers of art.

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Other editions: Softcover - 1998, Softcover - 1998