Arthur B Davies - A Measure of Dreams [c.1908]

Arthur B Davies - A Measure of Dreams [c.1908], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

A visionary painter of dancing nudes in mythical landscapes, Arthur Davies (Utica, New York, September 26, 1862 - Florence, October 24, 1928) occupies an important position in American art. He is accorded a leading role both for his painting and for his brilliance in organising the 1913 Armory Show in New York City. The historic show brought together on a grand scale 1,600 pieces of American and European art, exposing the public for the first time to the scope of modern trends. The show affected the course of art history in the United States.

Davies own canvases, often described as decorative, depict arcadian landscapes populated by Botticelli like nudes and mythical unicorns. The paintings are considered to be in the symbolist tradition, comparable to the work of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. Through the 1890s, Davies painted conventional landscapes, and wonderful romantic interior pictures, usually with a female sitter for his subject.

[Oil on canvas, 45.7 x 76.2 cm]