The Three Graces

Although Arthur Davies played a decisive role in organizing the 1913 Armory Show and was a member of The Eight—a group of artists often associated with gritty realism—his energetic embrace of modern European art seems contrary to his own paintings, which consist mostly of dreamy classical idylls. Although he did embark on a brief experimental period following 1913, incorporating aspects of cubism and abstraction, Davies more or less returned to his earlier style within five years. He explored the subject of the Three Graces several times in his work.