Stuart Davis

Birth

Dec. 7, 1892 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Death

Jun. 24, 1964 (New York, New York)

Stuart Davis holds a special place in the Carter’s collection. In 1967, his large-scale canvas, Blips and Ifs, became the first abstract painting acquired for the collection, joining works on paper by Georgia O’Keeffe, John Marin, and the artists of the Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Davis was a fitting artist to mark this new era of collecting for the Carter. During the early 20th century, the New York painter built a reputation as a groundbreaking pioneer of abstraction in the United States, and he created dynamic, inventive compositions that captured the vibrancy of modern consumer society. Since acquiring Blips and Ifs, the Carter has added a broad selection of Davis’ paintings, drawings, and prints, including one of his earliest self-portraits, an iconic Egg Beater abstraction, and a complete set of his graphic art acquired from the artist’s estate in 1984.