Artwork
Three Acrobats
Three Acrobats is an ink print by Arthur Bowen Davies. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Arthur B.
About this work
Overview
Arthur B. Davies produced the print *Three Acrobents* in 1920. Executed as a black lithograph with lithotint on wove paper, the work presents three intertwined figures captured in a moment of motion. The composition is rendered in a loose, sketch‑like manner, emphasizing the sense of kinetic energy.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays three human forms caught in an acrobatic pose, their bodies twisting and overlapping as if engaged in a shared performance. The blurred, tangled silhouettes suggest both the physical strain of the act and a more abstract interplay of line and space, inviting viewers to contemplate movement and unity.
Technique & Style
Davies employed a lithotint process to achieve deep, uneven blacks and textured tonal areas, while the underlying lithograph provides the basic line work. The surface is marked by rough, irregular strokes that convey immediacy, and the figures appear to dissolve into the paper, a characteristic of the artist’s vigorous, almost frantic handling of the medium.
History & Provenance
Created during a period when Davies was a prominent advocate for modern art in the United States, the print reflects his avant‑garde sensibilities of the early twentieth century. It remains documented as part of his print output from the 1920s, though specific ownership details are limited.
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.
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