Under the Beach Umbrella
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
2002.104.1.6
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the National Gallery of Art's collection, *Under the Beach Umbrella* (c. 1943) is a delicate graphite drawing on wove by American modernist Milton Avery. Measuring just 19.8 x 25.8 cm, this study captures a leisurely beach scene, evoking simple joys of summer amid the uncertainties of World War II. Avery, often called the "American Matisse" for his bold simplifications of form and color, frequently sketched en plein air to distill everyday moments into poetic compositions. Rendered in graphite on smooth wove paper—a favored support for its even texture and ability to hold fine line...
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...