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Telegraph Pole

A work made of oil, metallic paint, and pencil, on steel plate.

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  • A work made of oil, metallic paint, and pencil, on steel plate.

Date:

1929

Artist:

Arthur Dove (American, 1880–1946)

About this artwork

“Being a wet telegraph pole, some flying leaves and silver.” This is how Arthur Dove briefly described this painting, which juxtaposes the geometry of the pole in the extreme foreground against the curves of distant hills. Dove evoked the wetness of the scene by employing metallic paint on a steel plate; these unconventional materials makes the entire composition shimmer and shine. The varied brushwork and pulsating layers of color in the background further enliven the work’s appearance, suggesting that this industrial object has been subsumed into its natural setting.

Status

On View, Gallery 265

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Arthur Dove

Title

Telegraph Pole

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1929

Medium

Oil, metallic paint, and pencil, on steel plate

Inscriptions

signed, l.r.: "Dove"

Dimensions

71.1 × 50.5 cm (28 × 19 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection

Reference Number

1949.535

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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