charles demuth AMERICAN MODERNIST Image: Charles Demuth, Self Portrait, Collection of the Demuth Museum, Lancaster, PA

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1 charles demuth AMERICAN MODERNIST Image: Charles Demuth, Self Portrait, Collection of the Demuth Museum, Lancaster, PA

2 Demuth s Art From Poetry: Visual Interpretation of the Written Word

3 Charles Demuth was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in He lived here for much of his life because he was weakened by various illnesses, which included diabetes. Pictured here is one of Demuth s most famous selfportraits, which is in the collection of the Demuth Museum. Demuth had a great interest in not only fine art, but also literature, and at one point wanted to become a writer, but ultimately chose to be a painter. Self-Portrait, 1907 Oil on canvas, 26 x 18 The Demuth Museum

4 At the Golden Swan, 1919 Watercolor on paper, 8 x 10 1/2 Collection of Irwin Goldstein, M.D. Demuth traveled extensively during his lifetime despite having diabetes. Though Demuth created many of his oil paintings in his studio at his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Demuth also created a number of watercolors of nightclub and vaudeville scenes during his travels. This nightclub scene was painted at the now famous Golden Swan Café, in Greenwich Village, New York. Many of Demuth s observational figurative paintings became reference for his imagined illustrations, and art from poetry.

5 Demuth created this illustration for Henry James short story, The Beast in the Jungle, which tells the story of a doomed man and his wife. The Boat Ride from Sorrento, illustration no. 1 for Henry James The Beast in the Jungle, 1919 Watercolor and pencil on paper, 8 x 10 1/8 Philadelphia Museum of Art

6 This illustration was also created for Henry James story, The Beast in the Jungle. Marcher Receives His Revelation at May Bartram s Tomb, illustration no. 3 for Henry James The Beast in the Jungle, 1919 Watercolor and pencil on paper, 8 x 10 1/8 Philadelphia Museum of Art

7 This illustration was created for Emile Zola s Nana. Nana, Seated Left, and Satin at Laure s Restaurant, illustration for Emile Zola s Nana, 1916 Watercolor and pencil on paper, 8 1/2 x 11 The Museum of Modern Art, New York These illustrations are a wonderful example of how Demuth was able to show incredible narrative in his art works. Demuth s love of literature and modernist poetry became a catalyst for Demuth s next genre of works, called Poster Portraits.

8 In 1923, Demuth began creating what are now called Poster Portraits of his good friends. These Poster Portraits acted as psychological portraits of those friends, and represented different important aspects of their careers, lives and personalities through the symbols used, and the elements and principles of design chosen in the composition. The Poster Portraits share many of the same aspects of Demuth s illustrations in their choice of symbolism, but have a different, Precisionist aesthetic. This Poster Portrait was created for the Venetian artist of the same name. Longhi on Broadway, 1928 Oil on board, 34 x 27 The Lane Collection

9 Demuth s most famous Poster Portrait, The Figure 5 in Gold, was created for his friend, William Carlos Williams, a famous modernist poet, based on this Williams poem: The Great Figure Among the rain and lights I saw the figure 5 in gold on a red fire truck moving tense unheeded to gong clangs siren howls and wheels rumbling through the dark city The Figure 5 in Gold, 1928 Oil on board, 35 1/2 x 30 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

10 Below are additional poems by William Carlos Williams: Spring Storm The sky has given over its bitterness. Out of the dark change all day long rain falls and falls as if it would never end. Still the snow keeps its hold on the ground. But water, water is seething from a thousand runnels. It collects swiftly, dappled with black cuts a way for itself through green ice in the gutters. Drop after drop it falls from the withered grass stems of the overhanging embankment. The Red Wheelbarrow so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. To A Poor Old Woman munching a plum on the street a paper bag of them in her hand They taste good to her They taste good to her. They taste good to her You can see it by the way she gives herself to the one half sucked out in her hand Comforted a solace of ripe plums seeming to fill the air They taste good to her

11 Demuth reinterpreted his use of symbolism in this work to represent Williams through his poetry. The work shares many aspects of Demuth s literary illustrations in this use of symbolism, but in a Precisionist style. Although this is Demuth s only direct representation of a poem, Demuth s love of modernist writing can be seen in the next Poster Portrait as well.

12 Love, Love, Love, 1929 Oil on panel, 20 x 20 3/4 Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Lugano, Switzerland The Poster Portrait shown here is one Demuth created for Gertrude Stein, a noted writer of plays, novels and poetry who frequently used repetition in her work.

13 Below is a selection of a Gertrude Stein poem: Stanzas in Meditation Stanza II I think very well of Susan but I do not know her name I think very well of Ellen but which is not the same I think very well of Paul I tell him not to do so I think very well of Francis Charles but do I do so I think very well of Thomas but I do not not do so I think very well of not very well of William I think very well of any very well of him I think very well of him. It is remarkable how quickly they learn But if they learn and it is very remarkable how quickly they learn It makes not only but by and by And they can not only be not here But not there Which after all makes no difference After all this does not make any does not make any difference I add added it to it. I could rather be rather be here.

14 THANK YOU FOR USING THE PROGRAM FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO LEARN ABOUT OTHER ART IN A BOX PROGRAMS, PLEASE CONTACT: The Demuth Museum 120 East King Street Lancaster, PA