Artwork
Goat
Goat is an oil painting by Arthur Dove. It dates from 1935 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Arthur Dove’s 1935 oil painting titled *Goat* presents a pair of goats positioned face‑to‑face, their curved horns dominant in the composition. The animals are rendered in a palette of brown and white fur against a background of swirling green, blue and yellow tones, creating a balanced yet slightly ambiguous spatial setting. The work belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas focuses on two goats, their robust horns and close stance suggesting a moment of interaction or confrontation. While the scene is recognizable, Dove’s treatment abstracts the forms, inviting viewers to consider the animals as symbols of natural vitality rendered through a lyrical, almost poetic visual language.
Technique & Style
Dove employs a pronounced impasto, applying thick layers of paint that give the horns and fur a tactile surface. Broad, vigorous brushstrokes generate texture, while the mingling of bright yet softened hues produces a dream‑like atmosphere. This approach aligns with Dove’s broader modernist interest in abstraction and the expressive potential of paint itself.
History & Provenance
Created during a period when Dove was exploring abstracted landscapes and animal motifs, *Goat* reflects his status as an early American modernist. The painting entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains on view, representing a key example of Dove’s oil work from the mid‑1930s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Garfield Dove (August 2, 1880 – November 23, 1946) was an American artist.
