Artwork
Four Figures
Four Figures is a graphite drawing by Arthur Bowen Davies. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1921, *Four Figures* is a drawing by American modernist Arthur B. Davies. Executed with graphite and ink wash on a fabric support that has been adhered to paperboard, the work measures a modest size and presents a composition of four elongated, nude forms. The piece reflects Davies’s involvement in the early twentieth‑century avant‑garde and his interest in abstracted figuration.
Subject & Meaning
The faces are rendered with minimal detail, suggesting anonymity and emphasizing the overall rhythmic interplay of line rather than individual identity.
The drawing depicts four unclothed bodies arranged in a reclined, almost contorted manner. Their limbs extend outward in varied directions, producing a sense of tangled movement. The faces are rendered with minimal detail, suggesting anonymity and emphasizing the overall rhythmic interplay of line rather than individual identity. The composition invites contemplation of the human form as a vehicle for exploring line, space, and abstraction.
Technique & Style
Davies employed graphite for structural lines and applied ink wash to create tonal variation across the fabric surface. The medium, a woven fabric mounted on paperboard, allows the wash to soak slightly, producing soft edges and a muted atmosphere. Cross‑hatching and loose, wavering strokes generate shading, while the overall palette remains subdued, contributing to an ethereal, almost dreamlike quality.
History & Provenance
Arthur B. Davies was a prominent advocate for modern art in the United States from roughly 1910 to 1928, and *Four Figures* dates from the later phase of his career. The work has remained within private collections and has been exhibited in surveys of early American modernism, illustrating Davies’s role in introducing avant‑garde aesthetics to a broader American audience.
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.
