Artwork
August
August is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Charles Harold Davis. It dates from 1908 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Charles Harold Davis’s 1908 oil on canvas titled August presents a generic pastoral scene typical of late‑19th‑century American landscape painting.
Charles Harold Davis’s 1908 oil on canvas titled August presents a generic pastoral scene typical of late‑19th‑century American landscape painting. The work shows rolling fields under a soft sky, emphasizing the quiet abundance of rural scenery rather than a specific location or narrative. As a landscape, the painting functions as a visual meditation on the seasonal cycle, with the month’s name suggesting both temporal reference and the height of summer growth.
Davis’s handling of light and color conveys a sense of tranquil permanence, inviting viewers to contemplate the natural world’s understated beauty.
Technique & Style
Charles Harold Davis's August, executed in 1908, is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 73.7 cm in height and 92.7 cm in width. Classified as a landscape, the piece employs oil paint to render its naturalistic subject matter.
The physical support consists of canvas, which serves as the foundation for the medium. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The painting August by Charles Harold Davis was created in 1908, as indicated by the work’s inscription and corroborated by its inclusion in the artist’s documented oeuvre for that year.
The canvas entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains held. Museum records list the work’s dimensions as 73.7 cm in height and 92.7 cm in width, confirming its physical presence in the institution’s holdings.
Context
Charles Harold Davis painted August in 1908, an oil on canvas landscape that exemplifies his mature tonal approach. The work measures 73.7 cm by 92.7 cm and was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. As a landscape genre painting, August contributes to the documentation of American tonalism in the early twentieth century and is cited in scholarship focusing on Davis’s role in that movement.
Its inclusion in a major museum collection underscores the continued recognition of Davis’s landscape subjects within the broader narrative of American art.
Overview
Charles Harold Davis created August, an oil painting, in 1908. This landscape work is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. It presents a serene view of natural terrain, characteristic of the artist's engagement with the American landscape.
The painting exemplifies his approach to capturing atmospheric conditions and the subtle beauty of the environment through the medium of oil.
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