Arthur Bowen Davies (Born 1862) was born in Utica, New York, U.S. He died in 1928 in Florence, Italy. He was a tapestry designer, print-maker and painter remembered for his Romantic style of painting that comprised the idylls of classical fantasy. However, he is best remembered for his role in the introduction of modern European painting styles in America in the early 20th-century. He trained in Chicago and in Utica, New York City. Early in his career, he used to paint atmospheric landscapes using the Romantic style. It was not until after 1900 that his most notable works were created. These included the mythological creatures that he grouped gracefully and the elegant nude figures in idyllic scenes. Davies organized an exhibition of artists in 1908. The artists came to be known as “The Eight”, or (the Ashcan school).
Davies became the president of the Society of Independent Artists, and in 1913, he became a major figure in the organization of the magnificent Armory Show. This show brought the works of American and European modernists to the attention of the United States public. The artist himself adopted a Cubist style which he modified and used for several years. He used this style to paint rhythmic patterns of fragments of natural figures and forms which he geometricized. During the last decade of Davies’ career, he used much the representational style and he devoted much of his time to color lithography and etching. His art discarded both the realism of Sloan, Hopper, Bellows, and others. He also rejected the early experiments in abstraction as evidenced in the graphic art of Max Weber and John Marin.
