Study for "Goat"

Arthur Dove

ca. 1934 · Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard · Modern and Contemporary Art

This watercolor is a study for Dove's oil painting of the same title (MMA 49.70.37). Dove typically worked out his compositional arrangements and color schemes in this medium, on a small scale, then transferred the image to a larger canvas by means of a projector-like "magic lantern" or a copying tool called a pantograph. A comparison with the Goat painting demonstrates the artist's adherence to his original conception of the work, with only minimal alterations to its shapes and tones.

Artist

Arthur Dove

Date

ca. 1934

Medium

Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1949