Artwork
Doorway to Illusion
Doorway to Illusion is an ink print by Arthur Bowen Davies. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1919, *Doorway to Illusion* is a black-and-white print made by Arthur B. Davies through softground etching combined with aquatint on laid paper. The image presents a solitary nude figure in a dim interior, illuminated only by a faint glow from a distant opening that hints at an external landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The barely visible doorway or window behind her introduces an ambiguous external world—perhaps a ship or trees—evoking a sense of longing or transition.
The composition centers on a woman seen from behind, her posture poised with one arm lifted and the other resting at her side. Light catches her shoulder while the rest of her form recedes into shadow, suggesting a tension between presence and concealment. The barely visible doorway or window behind her introduces an ambiguous external world—perhaps a ship or trees—evoking a sense of longing or transition.
Technique & Style
Davies employed softground etching to produce smudged, diffuse lines that blur the figure’s edges, while the aquatint process adds tonal depth and a velvety darkness. The use of laid paper, with its subtle ribbed texture, contributes to the print’s atmospheric quality, creating a ghostly, half‑real effect characteristic of early twentieth‑century experimental printmaking.
History & Provenance
Active in the American avant‑garde from 1910 to 1928, Davies was instrumental in introducing modernist ideas to U.S. audiences. *Doorway to Illusion* reflects his engagement with contemporary print techniques during this period. The work has circulated among private collections and museum holdings that focus on early modern American printmaking.
Context
The print emerges at a time when American artists were exploring European modernist influences while seeking distinct visual languages. Davies’ interest in ethereal subjects and experimental processes aligns with broader trends in Symbolism and the burgeoning interest in psychological interiority that marked the post‑World War I art scene.
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.
Nude Woman Standing, Drying Herself (Femme nue debout, a sa toilette)
Iris
Nude Woman Standing, Drying Herself (Femme nue debout, a sa toilette)
Female Nude Seated
Two Women (Zwei Frauen)
Nude Woman Standing, Drying Herself
Seated Female
Female Nude
Stehende Weibliche akte (Standing Female Nude)
Untitled
Nude Woman
Nude Girl at her Toilette