Three Figures on the Beach
c. 1943
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 19.8 x 25.8 cm (7 13/16 x 10 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Sally Michel Avery
Accession Number
2002.104.1.35
Art Historical Context
Milton Avery's *Three Figures on the Beach* (c. 1943) captures a serene moment of leisure amid the uncertainties of World War II.ed in graphite on wove paper, this intimate drawing measures just 19.8 x 25.8 cm, inviting close contemplation. Avery, a pivotal American modernist (1885–1965), distills the human form and seaside landscape into elegant, simplified contours—hallmarks of his style that influenced later Abstract Expressionists like Mark Rothko, a close friend. The graphite medium shines here on smooth wove paper, allowing Avery's precise line work and subtle shading to evoke depth and...
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...