c. 1917

Boats, Gloucester

American, 1892 - 1964

This rare early painting by Stuart Davis was made in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where the artist began spending summers in 1915. Probably painted during his second visit, the work reflects the profound impact that the 1913 Armory Show in New York City had on Davis; the exhibition introduced him to the principles of abstraction being pioneered by artists in France and Germany. Here, the thickly painted white crescents generalize the upturned hulls of fishing boats.