Flower Study #1

Charles Demuth's "Flower Study #1" (1923) is a watercolor over graphite on ivory wove paper that reveals a different side of the artist known for his Precisionist industrial scenes. Demuth was equally accomplished as a watercolorist, and his flower studies are among the most beautiful works in American watercolor. This study shows a single flower or small bouquet, rendered with a delicacy and sensitivity that contrasts with the hard-edged precision of his architectural works. The watercolor medium allows for soft washes and translucent color that capture the fragility and luminosity of the petals. The graphite underdrawing provides structure. Demuth's flower studies were influenced by the botanical illustrations of earlier centuries but transformed by his modernist sensibility. The composition is cropped and enlarged, bringing the viewer close to the flower and emphasizing its formal qualities. This watercolor demonstrates the range of Demuth's talent beyond the Precisionist scenes for which he is best known.

Demuth's flower watercolors represent a significant aspect of his achievement, demonstrating his mastery of a medium that requires speed, confidence, and delicacy.

This watercolor study of a flower shows the tender, lyrical side of Charles Demuth, the translucent washes capturing the delicate beauty of the bloom with a sensitivity that rivals the greatest botanical artists.