A Greater Morning

Arthur B. Davies, A Greater Morning, ca. 1900-1905, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.69
Arthur B. Davies, A Greater Morning, ca. 1900-1905, oil on canvas, 23 1⁄4 x 28 1⁄4 in. (59.0 x 71.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.69
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
A Greater Morning
Artist
Date
ca. 1900-1905
Location
Dimensions
23 1⁄4 x 28 1⁄4 in. (59.0 x 71.7 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Landscape — water
  • Figure male — full length
  • Landscape — time — sunrise
Object Number
1985.69
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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.