Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Memo

Stuart Davis

Name Class Date
Stuart Davis, Memo. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Stuart Davis wahooart.com/en/artists/stuart-davis/
Artist’s dates
1892 – 1964
Movement
Modernism The broad twentieth-century push to break with tradition and find forms that matched a changed world.

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Stuart Davis died in 1964; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2034. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 14, 2026

Memo — Stuart Davis Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Memo — Stuart Davis

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1890
  2. 1900
  3. 1910
  4. 1920
  5. 1930
  6. 1940
  7. 1950
  8. 1960

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 72 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Stuart Davis (1892–1964) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1924 Main working years: 1924–1942 Late works: from 1942

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

  • Odol wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-odol-8LT7WX-en/
  • Rocks, Gloucester, 1915 wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-rocks-gloucester-D4QFBD-en/
  • The Mellow Pad wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-the-mellow-pad-8LT7Z3-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/stuart-davis-memo-8LT7WP-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Black #181215

    Catalogued palette

    • #181215
    • #EB4503
    • #257F61
    • #E8EEEB

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Black
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Stuart Davis over the last twelve months — 6 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 81.0%
    2. 2 Sweden 7.1%
    3. 3 United States of America 4.8%
    4. 4 Croatia 2.4%
    5. 5 South Korea 2.4%
    6. 6 Netherlands 2.4%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Stuart Davis

    1. 1 Visa 1 6.7%
    2. 2 Garage No. 1, 1917 4.4%
    3. 3 Study for ''Blips and Ifs'' 4.4%
    4. 4 Odol 2.2%
    5. 5 The Mellow Pad 2.2%
    6. 6 Impression of the New York World's Fair (mural study, Communications Building, World's Fair, Flushing, New York), 1938 2.2%
    7. 7 Waterfront Landscape, 1936 2.2%
    8. 8 Composition, 1935 2.2%
    9. 9 Hot Still-Scape for Six Colors. Seventh Avenue Style 2.2%
    10. 10 T View, 1951 2.2%
    11. 11 The Terminal, 1937 2.2%
    12. 12 Newark, 1910 2.2%
    13. 13 Int'l Surface No. 1, 1960 2.2%
    14. 14 Ana 2.2%
    15. 15 Gloucester Terraces 2.2%
    16. 16 Flying Carpet, 1942 2.2%
    17. 17 Studio interior 2.2%
    18. 18 Textile with Liquor and Prohibition Motifs 2.2%
    19. 19 Report from Rockport 2.2%
    20. 32 Memo this painting 2.2%

    Together these works take 52.9% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 167 works by this artist, of which 41 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 32 of them, with 2.2% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 14, 2026

    Memo — Stuart Davis Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Stuart Davis

    Born in Philadelphia, United States of America

    Stuart Davis: A Pioneer of American Modernism

    Early Life and Training

    Born on December 7, 1892, in Philadelphia, Stuart Davis was immersed in an artistic environment from a young age. His father, Edward Wyatt Davis, served as the art editor for the Philadelphia Press, while his mother, Helen Stuart Davis, was a sculptor. This familial background undoubtedly fostered his early interest in visual arts.

    Davis received formal training at the Robert Henri School of Art in New York City from 1909 to 1912 under the guidance of Robert Henri. During this period, he formed lasting friendships with fellow painters John Sloan, Glenn Coleman, and Henry Glintenkamp.

    Early Career and the Armory Show

    Davis quickly gained recognition as one of the youngest exhibitors at the pivotal Armory Show in 1913. He presented five watercolor paintings that reflected the style of the Ashcan School, marking an early step in his artistic journey.

    Artistic Development and Style

    Throughout the 1920s, Davis developed his distinctive mature style. He began creating abstract still lifes and landscapes characterized by a proto-pop art element, incorporating contemporary subject matter like cigarette packages and spark plug advertisements into his compositions.

    His work is known for its bold, brash, and colorful nature. Davis’s artistic expression was profoundly influenced by his love of jazz music, which became increasingly evident in his paintings from the 1940s and 1950s. The Ashcan School movement also played a crucial role in shaping his early aesthetic sensibilities.

    Influences and Inspirations

    Robert Henri: Provided foundational training and encouraged direct observation of life.

    Ashcan School: Influenced his initial focus on urban realism and everyday subjects.

    Cubism: Inspired his exploration of abstract forms and fragmented perspectives.

    Jazz Music: Contributed to the rhythmic energy and improvisational quality of his paintings.

    Notable Works

    Odol (Modernism), completed in 1928, stands as a prime example of Davis’s unique style. This painting exemplifies his ability to blend abstract forms with recognizable imagery from popular culture.

    Other significant works include Rocks, Gloucester (1915), The Mellow Pad, and Tropes de Teens (1956).

    Legacy and Historical Significance

    Stuart Davis’s contributions to American Modernism are undeniable. He paved the way for future generations of artists by challenging traditional artistic conventions and embracing contemporary themes.

    As a pioneer in abstract art, he helped establish a distinctly American voice within the broader context of modern art history. His work continues to inspire and influence artists today, solidifying his place as a significant figure in 20th-century art.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Memo

    wahooart.com/en/art/download/stuart-davis-memo-8LT7WP-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Davis, Stuart. Memo. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-memo-8LT7WP-en/
    APA
    Davis, Stuart (n.d.). Memo [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-memo-8LT7WP-en/
    Chicago
    Stuart Davis. Memo. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-memo-8LT7WP-en/
    Harvard
    Davis, Stuart (n.d.) Memo. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/stuart-davis-memo-8LT7WP-en/

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 14, 2026

    Memo — Stuart Davis Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Memo — Stuart Davis

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: abstract, color field, modernism. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Odol, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Modernism: The broad twentieth-century push to break with tradition and find forms that matched a changed world. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 14, 2026

    Memo — Stuart Davis Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    What orientation does "Memo" by Stuart Davis have?

    "Memo" by Stuart Davis is a portrait composition. The proportions are worth checking before choosing a print size.

    What other names is Stuart Davis known by?

    Stuart Davis appears under the alternate names Edward Stuart Davis, Stewart Davis, Davies.

    Where can I find statistics about "Memo" by Stuart Davis?

    The Stats page of "Memo" by Stuart Davis presents public visit statistics: monthly visits of this artwork, a comparison with the artist's most viewed works, and where its visitors come from.

    Are the colors of "Memo" by Stuart Davis saturated or muted?

    The palette of "Memo" is balanced soft in saturation.

    What color leads the composition of "Memo" by Stuart Davis?

    The dominant color of "Memo" by Stuart Davis is black (#181215).

    What is "Memo" about?

    The subjects of "Memo" are abstract, color field, modernism, jazz age, geometric, urban, american art, composition.

    What color palette is used in "Memo" by Stuart Davis?

    The palette of "Memo" by Stuart Davis is described as earthy. It is a compact description of the work's colors.

    What is the color identity of "Memo" by Stuart Davis?

    "Memo" by Stuart Davis uses an earthy palette, with black (#181215) as the dominant color.