Poetry Reading
Artist
Milton Avery
(American, 1885 - 1965)
Date1957
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 44 × 56 1/8 × 1 1/4in. (111.8 × 142.6 × 3.2cm)
Framed: 45 5/8 × 57 5/8 × 1 3/4in. (115.9 × 146.4 × 4.4cm)
Framed: 45 5/8 × 57 5/8 × 1 3/4in. (115.9 × 146.4 × 4.4cm)
ClassificationsPAINTINGS
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Terms
Object number59.8
Description On View
On viewCollections
CopyrightPresumed copyright: the artist or the artist's representative/heir(s) / Licensing by ARS, New York, NY.
Label TextPoetry Reading invites the viewer into an intimate scene where two figures sit and read together. They are rendered in simple shapes as they lean toward each other and their reading material. The figures create a strong diagonal line that is in contrast to the opposing lines formed by the furniture and walls; this is the only suggestion of three-dimensional space. Avery composes whimsically, with patterns and color. The figures are reserved in attitude and lack any expression indicating their mood, but Avery’s use of warm brown tones creates a sympathetic atmosphere that corresponds with their postures.
Charlotte Zee
Hamilton College Intern, summer 2016
