Stella returned to Italy in 1909, beginning a lifetime of travel back and forth from his native country, as well as frequent visits to Paris—where he would absorb the influences of Fauvism, Cubism and Futurism—and to North Africa and Barbados. ink, pencil, crayon, and oil crayon on paper ballpoint pen and ink, felt-tipped pen and ink, crayon and
At the same time, Stella was compelled to express the powerful spiritual connection he felt with the natural world through his many paintings of flora and fauna. gouache on paper mounted on paperboard Art historian Meder created interest in the traditional technique in Austria and Germany, while artist and teacher Legros did likewise in England. Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Marshall Joseph Stella, Two Pink Waterlilies, 1943. 1910, printed late 1950s A technique he embraced in 1918, it recalls Renaissance masters and coincides with a renewed interest in the medium by American artists such as Marsden Hartley. Through these majestic works—which emerged beginning in 1913—Stella established his reputation as a bold and innovative artist who was able to convey the excitement of the city and modern life. 1910, printed late 1950s charcoal and crayon on paper Stella's strong draftsmanship is evident in the many different kinds of images he created throughout his life. crayon, pencil, and watercolor on various joined papers Stella’s fantasy-packed floral, plant and bird canvases will follow, revealing the artist’s distinct vision and his intent in evoking in the viewer a sense of wonder and revelation. ca. ca. Stella’s religious paintings will be discussed in the context of his Catholic upbringing and the visual culture surrounding that religion. Collection of B. Dirr Joseph Stella, Tropical Flower, 1920s, Oil on canvas, 25 ½ x 21 ½ in. Visit the Smithsonian's website for Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery
Dated 1900-1930 CONDITION Good condition, wrinkled on the bottom part of the painting Biography Born in Muro Lucano, near Naples, Italy, Joseph Stella is best known for his painting Brooklyn Bridge, 1919 a futurist work that is an icon of the Industrial Age.
is unattainable through other media. ca. The artist’s travels to North Africa and Barbados will also be considered for the mix of the exotic and fantastic in the resulting works.
1930 Oil on canvas, 74 3/4 × 74 3/4 in.
He is especially respected today for his portraits on paper drawn in silverpoint, or silverpoint and oil, most from the 1920s. He briefly attended medical school before studying art with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art and Shinnecock Summer School of Art, from 1898 through 1901. Rendered in silverpoint and colored wax pencil with an amazing degree of precision, these personal excursions into representational realism exude a contemplative tone, their gentle lyricism acting as a foil to Stella’s frenetic, motion-filled cityscapes and mechanistic industrial scenes. The culmination of the exhibition will be those works emerging from Stella’s trips to North Africa and Barbados in the late 1920s and 1930s.The catalogue accompanying the exhibition will consist of multiple authors—including the exhibition’s curator, Audrey Lewis—and will delve deep into Stella’s art and his place in American art. A pioneering modernist in American art, Joseph Stella (1877-1946) is recognized primarily for his dynamic Futurist-inspired paintings of New York, in particular Coney Island and the Brooklyn Bridge.