Grey Day

Early Life and Education

• Born: November 22, 1895, in Waterville, Minnesota
• Parents: Arthur Clark Dehn (father) and Emilie Haas Dehn (mother), both socialists.
• Early artistic talent evident from the age of six.
• Graduated as valedictorian from Waterville High School in 1914.
• Attended the Minneapolis School of Art (later Minneapolis College of Art and Design) from 1914 to 1917. Studied under Robert Kohler.
• Formed a close friendship with Wanda Gág, also an artist.
• Received a scholarship to the Art Students League of New York in 1917.

World War I and Early Career

• Drafted into World War I in 1918 but declared himself a conscientious objector.
• Imprisoned for four months in Spartanburg, South Carolina, due to his objection.
• Later worked as a painting teacher at an army rehabilitation hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.
• Returned to the Art Students League for further study.
• Created his first lithograph, *The Harvest*, around 1920.
• Exhibited his lithographs at the Weyhe Gallery in New York City in 1921.

European Period and Development as an Artist

• Traveled to Europe in 1921, residing primarily in Paris and Vienna.
• Associated with a group of intellectuals and artists including Andrée Ruellan, Gertrude Stein, and E.E. Cummings.
• Supported himself through illustration work for magazines like *Vanity Fair*.
• Developed his distinctive style characterized by unusual tonal and textural effects in printmaking.
• His work began to reflect the social scene of Europe, particularly Vienna and Berlin.

Return to America and Mature Artistic Style

• Returned to New York City in 1929.
• Artwork featured in magazines such as *The New Yorker* and *Vogue*.
• Began focusing on watercolor painting in the mid-1930s, achieving significant recognition.
• Received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1939, enabling travel to the Western United States and Mexico.
• His watercolors depicted scenes of farms and farmlands in rural America, inspired by trips back to Minnesota.
• Became known for his vibrant landscapes and depictions of everyday life.
• Second Guggenheim Fellowship awarded in 1951.

Legacy and Historical Significance

• Elected as a full academician to the National Academy of Design and a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
• His works are held in over 100 museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Museum of Modern Art.
• Recognized for his contributions to lithography, watercolor painting, and caricature.
• Influenced other artists, notably Jackson Pollock, with his innovative techniques.
• Died on May 19, 1968, leaving behind a prolific body of work that reflects his diverse experiences and artistic evolution.
• His art is considered representative of Regionalism, Social Realism, and caricature movements in American art.