March at a Table
1948
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
drypoint on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 22.3 x 15.3 cm (8 3/4 x 6 in.) sheet: 41.7 x 33 cm (16 7/16 x 13 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Robert A. Hauslohner, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1990.106.2
Art Historical Context
**March at a Table** is a captivating drypoint print by American modernist Milton Avery, created in 1948. Avery, renowned for his poetic blend of realism and abstraction—often featuring simplified forms and harmonious colors—in this work turns to printmaking. The intimate title evokes a quiet domestic moment, with the of "March" seated at a table, rendered through the artist's deft linework on a modest plate measuring 22.3 x 15.3 cm. Drypoint, Avery's chosen medium here on smooth wove paper, involves scratching directly into a metal plate with a sharp needle, raising a soft burr that holds in...
About the Artist
Milton Avery
Milton Avery, born on March 7, 1885, in Altmar, New York, to a working-class family—his father a tanner—grew up in modest circumstances. After his family's move to the Hartford area of Connecticut in 1898, he took on various manual jobs, including as a mechanic, clerk, and construction worker, to support himself and relatives following family tragedies. His artistic path began around 1905 at the C...