Putnam's Pond

Putnam's Pond
Putnam's Pond
(American, 1885-1965)

Putnam's Pond

Date1941
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionsoverall: 32 x 48 in. (81.3 x 121.9 cm)
ClassificationPAINTINGS
Credit LineBequest of Leatrice and Eli Luria
Object number2002.68
Subject(s)
  • dog
  • nudes
  • nature
  • women
  • men
Collection
  • 20th century American
Sub-Collection(s)
  • Modernism
On View
Not on view
Label TextIn the 1930s, Avery developed a figurative approach that, in its simplification of form and use of heightened color, resembled that of Matisse and the Fauves. This landscape is titled after his friend, the artist Wallace Putnam and his picturesque studio and home called “The Ice House,” situated next to a pond in Yorktown, New York. Putnam and his wife, the photographer Consuelo Kanaga, regularly hosted visits from Avery and other artists, such as Mark Rothko, to their idyllic retreat. Guided by his intuition for forms, rather than thei r
outward description, Avery captures the simple pleasures of this sunny scene of outdoor leisure. Rigorously flat in accordance with modernist doctrine, the composition also welcomes the whimsical effect of cartoonish details, such as the curly hair of the paddling poodle, and the smoother fur of the seated golden retriever. The dog’s erect tail also humorously alludes to what one imagines might be the erotic response of the centralized nude male bather to this pastoral scene.
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