Artwork
Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night
Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night is an oil painting by the Art Nouveau artist Arthur B. Davies. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Arthur B.
About this work
Technique & Style
The handling of pigment demonstrates controlled application, producing a cohesive visual field that emphasizes tonal harmony over stark contrast.
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas. The oil medium creates a smooth surface with layered brushwork that emphasizes subtle variations in tone and color. The composition features a nocturnal landscape rendered with delicate atmospheric effects, where the interplay of light and shadow contributes to a dreamlike quality.
The canvas support is taut and properly primed, allowing for fine handling without significant deformation. The painting’s condition remains stable, with the original oil binder showing minimal cracking and the surface free of major abrasions. Formally, the piece employs a muted palette and soft edges that evoke a sense of quiet reverie, aligning with the stylistic tendencies of early 20th-century American modernism.
The formal qualities are defined by a balanced composition that integrates figurative elements with abstracted natural forms. The handling of pigment demonstrates controlled application, producing a cohesive visual field that emphasizes tonal harmony over stark contrast. These stylistic attributes reflect the artist’s intent to convey an ethereal mood through restrained yet expressive technique.
History & Provenance
Arthur B. Davies painted Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night in 1927 as an oil on canvas work. The painting entered the Ferargil Gallery in New York through direct acquisition from the artist and was purchased in 1928 by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington. In 2014, the National Gallery of Art acquired the piece, where it remains in its collection.
The work is cataloged in the National Gallery of Art's holdings, listed under its collection with an inception date of 1927 and dimensions of 101.92 cm by 66.2 cm.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was acquired from the Ferargil Gallery in New York and purchased by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1928. The work entered the National Gallery of Art's collection in 2014 following the Corcoran's dissolution. The National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) is listed as its current location and institutional collection. Dimensions are recorded as 101.92 cm in height and 66.2 cm in width.
Overview
Arthur B. Davies created the oil painting Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night circa 1927. Executed on canvas, the work belongs to the period when Davies was a leading advocate for modern art in the United States. Its composition combines a solitary, luminous figure with an indistinct, foliage‑filled backdrop, evoking a quiet, nocturnal atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a pale, almost ethereal presence standing amid a dimly lit, leafy environment. The figure’s skin emits a soft glow against surrounding greens and blues, suggesting a dreamlike encounter between humanity and nature. The pose, sideways, one hand on the hip, conveys a tentative forward motion, hinting at contemplation or transition within a nightscape.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Bowen Davies (September 26, 1862 – October 24, 1928) was an avant-garde American artist and influential advocate of modern art in the United States c. 1910–1928.
