Electric Bulb

Stuart Davis

1924

Oil on board

Dallas Museum of Art

"Electric Bulb" exemplifies Davis' experimental encounter with Cubism. His use of oversized objects, portrayed with hard-edged clarity, foreshadowed what Davis would continue to achieve later in his career. Davis developed and expanded upon a unique analysis of the modern idiom. "Electric Bulb" is an expression of the American scene, fragmented and recombined as a vividly colored geometric structure. Between 1916 and 1920, Davis's work underwent a dramatic stylistic change. He abandoned the expressionistic landscapes and portraits painted in a style reminiscent of Van Gogh in favor of the visual language of cubism, adopting the bold