Arthur B. Davies (American 1862 - 1928) Ashcan School Impressionist Watercolor Painting - Landscape in Italy

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Arthur Bowen Davies (American 1862 - 1928) Ashcan School impressionist watercolor painting - Landscape in Italy. The white buildings of … Read more Arthur Bowen Davies (American 1862 - 1928) Ashcan School impressionist watercolor painting - Landscape in Italy. The white buildings of a town, shown from a height; blue cloudy sky. Signed lower right. Measures 18" x 15 1/4" framed. Good condition consistent with age - wear and loss to silver gilt frame.

Provenance: Park Bernet Galleries, November 12, 1965; Estate of the artist.

Davies was an avant-garde American artist and influential advocate of modern art in the United States. He was a member of the Group of Eight with Robert Henri, George Luks, William Glackens, Everett Shinn and Maurice Prendergast.

Davies organized the 1913 Armory Show, also known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art, in New York City, Chicago and Boston. The show became an important event in the history of American art, introducing Americans, who were accustomed to realistic art, to the experimental styles of the European avant garde, including Fauvism and Cubism. The show served as a catalyst for American artists, who became more independent and created their own "artistic language".

Davies served as an advisor to wealthy New Yorkers who wanted guidance about making purchases for their art collections. Two of those collectors were Lillie P. Bliss and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, founders of the Museum of Modern Art, whose Davies-guided collections eventually became a core part of that museum. See less