Saw

1923

Stuart Davis (American, 1892–1964)

In this painting, Stuart Davis presented the saw as a modern icon for the 20th century. It is one of a series of paintings of solitary objects he produced in the 1920s. Here the tool floats in a Cubist composition of flat, abstract planes. The elevation of mundane objects to artistic subjects appealed to modernists like Davis because it signaled a new means of working that was free of art historical associations.

Status: On View, Gallery 271
Department: Arts of the Americas

Artist: Stuart Davis
Title: Saw
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.: 1923
Medium: Oil on canvas
Inscriptions: Signed l.r.: Stuart Davis 1923
Dimensions: 94 × 55.9 cm (37 × 22 in.)
Credit Line: Through prior gift of William Wrigley
Reference Number: 1988.144

Lewis Kachur, “Stuart Davis,” Arts Magazine 55, 3 (November 1980) p. 2.
Hilton Kramer, “An American Cubist,” Art & Antiques (January 1988) p. 94.
Judith A. Barter et al., American Modernism at the Art Institute of Chicago, From World War I to 1955 (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2009), cat. 42.

Santa Fe, Museum of New Mexico, Fiesta Exhibition, Sept. 3–17, 1923.
New York, Borgenicht Gallery, Stuart Davis, Still Life paintings, 1922/24, Sept. 27–Oct. 23, 1980.
New York, Salander O’Reilly Galleries, Selections: Stuart davis Exhibition, Oct. 3–25, 1986, checklist, no. 8.
New York, Salander O’Reilly Galleries, Stuart Davis: The Breakthrough Years, Nov. 4–Dec. 26, 1987, cat. 21, as The Saw.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stuart Davis, American Painter, Nov. 23, 1991–Feb. 16, 1992; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Mar. 26–June 7, 1992, cat. 51, as The Saw.

The artist; estate of the artist [Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, New York]; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1988.

Davis 1485

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.

On View

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

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.

Medium

Inscriptions

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

Explore Further

Suggested Terms

See all hours

On View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

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.

Medium

Inscriptions

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

Extended information about this artwork

Publication History

Exhibition History

Provenance

Catalogues Raisonnés

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share