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Arthur Bowen Davies

Clothed in Dominion, ca. 1912

Description

Maker

  • Arthur Bowen Davies, 1862-1928, American

Title

Clothed in Dominion

Year

ca. 1912

Medium

Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • oil paint

Supports

  • canvas

Dimensions

61.9 x 153.7 cm (24 3/8 x 60 1/2 inches)

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lizzie P. Bliss

Object Number

31.336

Projects & Publications

Publications

Cezanne and American Modernism

Selection VII

American Painting from the Museum's Collection, c.1800-1930

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Stranger Than Paradise

July 14, 2017 - February 25, 2018

This painting presents a group of young men moving gracefully in a forest setting that also resembles a theatrical set. Davies’s treatment of the figures’ movement reflects his avid admiration of both ancient Greek art and modern dance. The title Clothed in Dominion suggests that the unclothed men are metaphorically dressed in the power (or dominion) of their own muscular bodies or in their power over the natural world, of which they have become a part.

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

Arthur B. Davies was a driving force behind the groundbreaking New York modern art exhibition known as the 1913 Armory Show. He was also an avid admirer of modern dance and Greek art, both of which informed his notions about natural movement presented in nature. While in Paris in 1912, Davies followed the performances of the Ballets Russes, whose archaic, sensuous staging of Claude Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun shocked even sophisticated audiences. He recalls that ballet in this frieze of young men moving languorously in a scenographic forest setting. A kneeling figure at left suggests the notorious pose of the exultant faun, made famous by dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.

"The Center Cannot Hold"

March 1 - July 1, 1999

George Bellows, The Eight, and the American Scene

July 7 - September 2, 1995

From the Reserve IV

July 22 - October 2, 1994

Romanticism and Revival

December 4, 1992 - June 26, 1993

Selection VII

March 31 - May 8, 1977

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Clothed in Dominion with the accession number of 31.336. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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