Arthur Dove, Gale

Arthur Dove (American) 1880-1946

Gale, 1932

oil on canvas 25 3/4 x 35 3/4 in.

Weisman Art Museum

http://www.artsconnected.org/artsnetmn/inner/dove.html

Arthur Dove was one of the earliest artists painting in the purely non-objective or abstract form. His early influences came from the post-impressionists in France, but he wanted to find his own way to represent nature. He was painting at the same time as other artists who were interested in interested in showing form instead of the story of the painting such as Georgia O'Keeffe. Gale was painted in 1932 during the depression when Dove didn't have a lot of money. He had once lived on a house boat and he had a lot of memories of the sea. He wrote about a certain storm to his friend, Alfred Steiglitz and he said he was trying to remember the way the storm looked. That was how he painted this painting. This painting shows good use of shape in the sky and water. Also, the only colors he uses are in shades of green and blue.