Vaudeville Singer

Charles Demuth's "Vaudeville Singer" (1918) is a watercolor with graphite on cream laid paper that depicts a performer from the world of vaudeville, the popular variety theater that dominated American entertainment in the early 20th century. This subject is unusual for Demuth, who is best known for his architectural precisionist works and his flower studies. The vaudeville singer is shown in performance, perhaps captured in mid-song, the figure rendered with a looseness and energy that differs from Demuth's more typical precise style. The cream laid paper provides a warm ground. The watercolor is applied with greater freedom than in his architectural works, the washes suggesting the movement and atmosphere of the performance. The graphite underdrawing captures the singer's pose and expression. This watercolor offers a glimpse of Demuth's engagement with popular culture and his ability to capture the energy of live performance, a side of his art that is less frequently seen but no less accomplished.

Demuth's vaudeville subjects document an important aspect of American popular culture in the early 20th century, preserving the energy and character of live entertainment before the dominance of film and television.

This watercolor of a vaudeville singer captures the energy of live performance, Demuth's looser handling and free washes conveying the movement and atmosphere of the variety stage.