Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Gladiolus

Name Class Date

Charles Demuth, Gladiolus. Public domain.

The facts

Artist
Charles Demuth artsdot.com/en/artists/charles-demuth/
Artist’s dates
1883 – 1935
Movement
Precisionism American factories, bridges and grain silos painted with sharp edges and no people at all.

In context

Gladiolus — Charles Demuth

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1880
  2. 1890
  3. 1900
  4. 1910
  5. 1920
  6. 1930

Shaded: the lifetime of Charles Demuth (1883–1935)

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/charles-demuth-gladiolus-8DP4VD-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Walnut #67552a

    Catalogued palette

    • #67552A
    • #F3E9C7
    • #A38D4B
    • #D1C287
    Palette
    Pastels The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Walnut
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Charles Demuth

    Born in Lancaster, United States of America

    early life and education

    charles henry buckius demuth, an american watercolorist, was born on november 8, 1883, in lancaster, pennsylvania. he developed a unique style of painting known as precisionism, which would later become a significant contribution to the american art scene. demuth's early education took place at franklin & marshall academy, followed by studies at drexel university and the prestigious pennsylvania academy of fine arts in philadelphia. it was during his time at pafa that he met william carlos williams, with whom he formed a lasting friendship.

    career and influences

    demuth's artistic career began to take shape after his studies in the united states. he later attended académie colarossi and académie julian in paris, where he became an integral part of the avant-garde art scene. the city's acceptance of his homosexuality also had a profound impact on his work. upon returning to america, demuth retained aspects of cubism in many of his works, reflecting the influence of his time in paris. his fondness for lancaster is evident in the subject matter of numerous works, showcasing industrial features like bridges, smoke stacks, and skyscrapers.

    notable works and precisionism

    demuth's most famous painting, the figure five in gold, was inspired by william carlos williams's poem "the great figure." this work is a prime example of demuth's unique style, which he termed "precisionism." other notable works include his "poster portraits," dedicated to artists and writers like georgia o'keeffe, arthur dove, and eugene o'neill. key characteristics of precisionism:

    quasi-cubist, sharply defined manner

    urban and rural landscapes with industrial features

    highly structured scenes lacking figures

    depiction of an industrial setting with sharp linearity

    legacy and museum quality replicas at AllPaintingsStore

    demuth's contributions to the precisionist art movement have left a lasting impact on american modernism. at AllPaintingsStore.com, you can find museum-quality replicas of his works, including the figure five in gold and other notable pieces. explore the world of precisionism with AllPaintingsStore's extensive collection: /en/art/show/art-d3cl2x-en/

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Gladiolus

    artsdot.com/en/art/download/charles-demuth-gladiolus-8DP4VD-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Demuth, Charles. Gladiolus. n.d., https://artsdot.com/en/art/charles-demuth-gladiolus-8DP4VD-en/
    APA
    Demuth, Charles (n.d.). Gladiolus [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/charles-demuth-gladiolus-8DP4VD-en/
    Chicago
    Charles Demuth. Gladiolus. n.d. https://artsdot.com/en/art/charles-demuth-gladiolus-8DP4VD-en/
    Harvard
    Demuth, Charles (n.d.) Gladiolus. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/charles-demuth-gladiolus-8DP4VD-en/

    Look closely

    Gladiolus — Charles Demuth

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: flowers. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Buildings Abstraction, Lancaster (1931), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Precisionism: American factories, bridges and grain silos painted with sharp edges and no people at all. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.