William C. Agee Book order (chronological)

This examination delves into the art and influence of John Graham and his circle, whose contributions were pivotal in the evolution of American modernism during the interwar period. The enigmatic Graham (1886–1961) significantly impacted New York artists from the 1920s to the 1940s. Alongside contemporaries like Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky, and Willem de Kooning, Graham redefined the possibilities of painting and sculpture. His circle, which included influential figures such as Jackson Pollock and David Smith, played a crucial role in shaping American modernism. The exhibition features approximately eighty-seven artworks from this era, illustrating the interconnectedness and shared inspirations among Graham's associates. Three scholarly essays explore the intricate relationships within this artistic community. William C. Agee situates Graham's group within the New Classicism movement, which sought to recover from World War I's impact by referencing classical and Renaissance art. Irving Sandler examines the social and political dynamics among Davis, Gorky, Graham, and de Kooning in the mid-1930s. Karen Wilkin highlights the circumstances that united these artists and their collective dedication to modernism, revealing the artistic cross-pollination in their works. This critical analysis offers fresh insights into the New York School, Abstract Expressionism, and the vibrancy of American modernism in the interwar years.

This sumptuous catalogue traces the evolution of a uniquely American aesthetic identity from the 1850s to the 1950s, highlighting the transition of American art from provincial to international prominence. It chronicles a complex century of maturation through a selection of paintings from the Addison Gallery of American Art. Beginning with Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Church, and the Hudson River School landscapes, the book reflects the new nationalism of mid-nineteenth-century America. Successors like Jasper Cropsey and Fitz H. Lane infused their surroundings with glowing light, while tonalists such as George Inness captured the American ethos through emotional landscapes. In the later 19th century, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and Eastman Johnson depicted native subjects with realism. Childe Hassam and Maurice Prendergast introduced Impressionist aesthetics, while expatriates like John Singer Sargent and James McNeil Whistler made their mark in European art capitals. The Ashcan school painters of turn-of-the-century New York portrayed gritty cityscapes, leading to modernism champions like Alfred Stieglitz and Marsden Hartley. In the 1930s, Josef Albers introduced new theories of color and space, paving the way for Abstract Expressionism. By the 1950s, American art had firmly established itself at the forefront of the international art scene.

A long overdue monograph on the paintings of internationally acclaimed abstract expressionist Sam Francis. Five years after the artist's death comes this critical and in-depth look by art historian William Agee centering on Francis's vision as painted on canvas and paper and bringing to light many works that have never before been reproduced. Agee brings into focus the achievements of this important American painter. A stunningly designed and produced publication and a must for followers of this great artist. 12 x 12 inches, 86 color plates, 50 color and b&w reproductions.