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Arthur Dove

Space Divided by Line Motive, 1943

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Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment
How did Impressionism begin? Discover the origins of the French art movement in a new look at the radical 1874 exhibition considered the birth of modern painting.
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About the Artwork

Living and working on Long Island, Arthur Dove always tied his images to the land and sea he loved, calling them “extractions” from nature. Nonetheless, his works became increasingly abstract during the 1940s. In Space Divided by Line Motive, thirteen interlocking planes of opaque, saturated color—bright red and blue contrasting with tones of olive green, ocher, and brownish plum—animate and unite the composition. The artist’s title for the painting may refer to the straight, undulating, curvy, and jagged lines that divide these spaces of color. The overall positive-negative effect conveys a strong sense of movement across the canvas’s surface, as if to suggest a seismic shifting of tectonic plates. This interest in shifting planes of color recalls the artist's 1913 statement that he “remember[ed] certain sensations purely through their form and color . . . by certain shapes, planes of light, or character lines determined by the meeting of such planes.”

Dove belonged to a pioneering group of artists whose increasingly abstract style radically changed the course of American art. A protégé of the influential promoter of modern art, Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864 - 1946), who showed Dove’s work and gave him his first solo exhibition, Dove nonetheless struggled to attain critical success and was never financially stable. Even Stieglitz noted that some of his paintings were “above the heads of the people.”

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Quality
National Gallery of Art Custom Prints is your exclusive source for custom reproductions authorized and available for purchase directly from the National Gallery of Art. All items that are offered are produced using gallery-quality materials and the color is managed in a manner that produces a reproduction as true to the original as modern technology will allow.
Selection
Many of the works offered through this store are exclusive and not available anywhere else. In addition, new works are continually added to the offering, so come back often to see our new releases.
Customization
You have found the work that speaks to you. Now what? Using our innovative custom framing tool you can preview exactly what your finished and framed art will look like. We offer many different moulding styles so there is sure to be a match for any type of decor.

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Circle Members will receive a 20% discount for all Custom Prints orders processed through our kiosk or website. During the checkout process, enter the coupon code you received from the membership office and your discount will be applied.