A Greater Morning

Arthur B. Davies, A Greater Morning, ca. 1900-1905, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.69
Copied Arthur B. Davies, A Greater Morning, ca. 1900-1905, oil on canvas, 23 1428 14 in. (59.071.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.69
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
A Greater Morning
Date
ca. 1900-1905
Dimensions
23 1428 14 in. (59.071.7 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Landscape — water
  • Figure male — full length
  • Landscape — time — sunrise
Object Number
1985.69

Artwork Description

Arthur B. Davies painted many images of nude women in dramatic landscapes during the early years of his career. Like many other turn-of-the-century artists, his work responded to the country's increasing urbanization by showing idealized images of people relating to nature. A Greater Morning shows two figures softly lit by the light of an early dawn. They evoke Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, unaware of their own nudity and waking to a new beginning in an untouched world.