Andrew Dasburg Paintings

Andrew Michael Dasburg was an American modernist painter and 'one of America's leading early exponents of cubism.' He was born on May 4, 1887, in Paris to German immigrant parents and was taken to New York City by his mother after his father's death in 1892. Dasburg's early exposure to art came through his education at the Art Students League of New York, where he studied under the tutelage of Kenyon Cox and Frank Vincent DuMond. His early works were influenced by the traditional academic style of his teachers, but his artistic direction changed radically after his return to Paris in 1909.

During his time in Paris, Dasburg was introduced to modernist movements, particularly Fauvism and Cubism, which had a profound impact on his work. He frequented Gertrude Stein's salon, where he met leading avant-garde artists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Dasburg’s adoption of Cubist techniques can be seen in his works from this period, where he began incorporating fragmented forms and multiple perspectives into his paintings. In 1913, he returned to the United States and participated in the Armory Show, which was the first large-scale exhibition of modern art in America. His work was exhibited alongside other prominent artists, introducing the American public to new forms of art, including his own evolving style.

Despite his association with modernist trends, Dasburg's work was varied, and he often shifted between different styles and approaches throughout his career. After spending some time in New Mexico during World War I, he became a prominent member of the Taos Art Colony, and the landscape and culture of the American Southwest deeply influenced him. Dasburg's later works included more representational and regionalist styles, and he became known for his vibrant landscapes, still lifes, and figure paintings imbued with the light and color of New Mexico.

Dasburg continued to paint and teach throughout his life. He was an influential figure in American art, both as a practitioner of early modernist painting and as a mentor to a subsequent generation of artists. He lectured at many institutions and was an advocate for the arts until his health began to decline. Andrew Dasburg passed away on August 13, 1979, in Taos, New Mexico, leaving behind a significant legacy in the development of American modernism.