Stuart Davis (1892 – 1964)• Stuart Davis was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• His father was the art editor of a Philadelphia newspaper.

• He was surrounded by artists during his childhood.

• He dropped out of high school to go to art school in New York.

• He painted this self-portrait in 1919. He was 27 years old.

• How do you feel when you look at this self-portrait?

• How do you think he is feeling?

Compare the self-portrait by Picasso on the left with the one by Stuart Davis on the right. Davis painted his self portrait 23 years after Picasso painted his. What differences do you notice?

The 1920s• Stuart Davis traveled to

Europe and became interested in Cubism (like we studied in Picasso’s art).

• He experimented with collage, but soon began painting copies of wallpaper in his art, instead of adding actual wallpaper like Picasso had done.

• Davis was influenced by Picasso’s style.• How are they similar? How are they different?

Picasso Stuart Davis

The1930s

• During this period Davis began experimenting with other modern abstract styles.

• The name of this painting is New York Waterfront.• What clues do you see that tell you this is New York?

A waterfront view?

The 1940s• Stuart Davis became interested in showing American life

in his art. He enjoyed jazz music and began painting “jazz.”

“. . . I have always liked hot music. There's something wrong with any American who doesn't. But I never realized that it was influencing my work until one day I put on a favorite record and listened to it while I was looking at a painting I had just finished. Then I got a funny feeling. If I looked, or if I listened, there was no shifting of attention. It seemed to amount to the same thing--like twins, a kinship. After that, for a long time, I played records while I painted.” What do you think Stuart Davis

meant when he said this?

• Do you see/feel the music?

• What about these paintings is jazz-like?

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• He began using words and letter-like shapes in his art.• His art takes on a poster-like appearance -- almost looking like advertising.• How do you feel when you look at these paintings? Do you like them? Why

or why not?

The 1960s• Toward the end of his

career, words and symbols dominated his art.

• Can you read all of what he wrote in this painting?

• Do you think it mattered to him if you could read it or not? Why or why not?

• How do you feel when you look at this painting?

• What changes do you see in his style over time?

• Do you like his work? Why or why not?

• Which style is your favorite? Why?