Study for "Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night"

c. 1927

Arthur B. Davies

Associated Names
Arthur B. Davies

Artist, American, 1862 - 1928

The drawing depicts a full-length view of a person standing with their upper body slightly bent forward and looking to their left. The figure's head is turned to the side, revealing their facial features, including a prominent nose and a defined brow. The person's hair is styled back and appears to be in a loose, short ponytail. The individual is shown in an expressive pose with one arm crossing their body and the other resting near their abdomen. The background consists of plain brown paper, contrasting with the white highlights and black contours used to render the figure, emphasizing the form and musculature of the body. There are no visible details of jewelry or objects being held by the figure.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    charcoal and chalk on wove paper mounted to board

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of Robert Halsband)

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 45.4 × 33.66 cm (17 7/8 × 13 1/4 in.)
    board: 50.17 × 36.83 cm (19 3/4 × 14 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1005


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Durlacher Brothers, New York); Robert Halsband, New York, 1961; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1962; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1957

  • American Drawings, 1900-1956, Brooklyn Museum, New York, 1957

2004

  • Figuratively Speaking: The Human Form in American Art, 1770-1950, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2004-2005

Bibliography

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 126, no. 849.

Inscriptions

lower left in black ink: Arthur B. Davies

Wikidata ID

Q64536507

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