Ready-to-Wear

Stuart DavisWW-1955-013683

1955·Oil on canvas·142.6 × 106.7 cm (56 1/8 × 42 in.)

<p>The title of this vibrant painting refers to the American invention of mass produced, or “ready-to-wear,” clothing, a term first employed in an 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog. Stuart Davis looked to the sights and sounds of popular culture throughout his successful career, excited by innovations he saw in advertising, industry, and jazz music. Here, the broad, flattened areas of red, white, black, and blue may represent leftover pieces of fabric, while the angular white shape in the upper-right corner evokes a pair of scissors. With its bright palette and energetic composition, the painting celebrates not only the vitality of the ready-to-wear clothing industry but also, Davis suggested, America itself.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1955
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 142.6 × 106.7 cm (56 1/8 × 42 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Stuart Davis

Artist

Stuart Davis

Painting

Edward Stuart Davis was an American modernist painter. He was associated with early twentieth-century American modernism, including the Ashcan School, and later developed a style characterized by bold color, jazz references, and urban subject matter. In the 1930s, Davis became politically active and participated in federally sponsored art programs during the Great Depression.

Philadelphia, PA, USA

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