Artwork
Apprehension
Apprehension is a charcoal drawing by Arthur Bowen Davies. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition captures a solitary figure caught in a moment of forward thrust, arms outstretched as if reaching or bracing against an unseen force.
Created circa 1922, *Apprehension* is a drawing executed in charcoal and chalk on wove paper. The composition captures a solitary figure caught in a moment of forward thrust, arms outstretched as if reaching or bracing against an unseen force. The work’s limited palette—charcoal’s deep tones against the warm, flat brown of the paper and highlights of white chalk—conveys a sense of immediacy and tension.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is rendered in a gestural pose, bending forward with limbs extended, suggesting a psychological or physical strain. While no explicit narrative is provided, the posture evokes themes of anxiety, effort, or a fleeting response to an external stimulus, aligning with the artist’s interest in dreamlike, figurative scenarios that hint at inner states rather than concrete stories.
Technique & Style
Davies employed loose, rapid charcoal strokes to outline the body, allowing portions of the line to remain rough and partially smudged. Chalk is applied selectively to create highlights and a subtle contrast against the paper’s warm brown ground. The interplay of light and shadow defines the figure’s volume without meticulous detail, reflecting a spontaneous, almost scumbled surface texture characteristic of early‑20th‑century modernist drawing.
History & Provenance
Arthur B. Davies, an American painter associated with the avant‑garde and a prominent advocate for modern art in the United States, produced the drawing during the later phase of his career. Though specific exhibition or ownership records for *Apprehension* are scarce, its creation date places it within the period when Davies was actively promoting modernist aesthetics and exploring more experimental, figurative approaches in his work.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Bowen Davies (September 26, 1862 – October 24, 1928) was an avant-garde American artist and influential advocate of modern art in the United States c. 1910–1928.
