Lily
Arthur Wesley Dow American
Not on view
Dow studied painting in France for five years before returning to Boston in 1889. Fascinated by Ukiyo-e prints, he examined works at the Museum of Fine Arts, together with Japanese printing equipment at the Smithsonian Institution. In 1891 he began to make woodblock prints, favoring formats that echoed Japanese pillar prints. That verticality remained central to his conception in “Lily,” in which plant forms seem to emerge from water. While the floral subject, strong outlines, and pronounced cropping show a continued admiration for Japanese models, the colors and forms also communicate Dow’s engagement with the American Arts and Crafts movement. His principles of design impacted the decoration of art pottery, furniture, and embroidery by artists who studied with and were influenced by him.
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