installation view
As much as I cherish the contemporary art scene, as an art historian it’s rewarding to have the opportunity to write about an exhibition that deepens my understanding of Modern art. This season, Ward & Ward Fine Art Framing and Gallery presents “At Home and Abroad,” featuring the work of Adolf Dehn (1895–1968), American illustrator, lithographer and painter.
This retrospective exhibition shines light on Dehn’s development as a Modernist explorer of watercolor and lithography. While the literature describes how Dehn’s style was informed by Germany’s “New Objectivity” group, especially George Grosz and Otto Dix, I also identify similarities between Dehn’s post-1930 approach and that taken by Post-Impressionist European painters Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Dehn’s mark making and subject matter are what draw me to make these connections most confidently. Although his most famous pieces are depictions of Central Park in New York City, I was most drawn to his lithographs and paintings of the circus, burlesque shows and caricatures. His inclusion of parody and satire within the works, critiquing the upper class and societal norms, offers a thread of continuity for today’s viewers.
Complete with a clever title and a felicitous frame, “Cornucopia” (1947) blends ink and watercolor to depict a group of bedazzled burlesque dancers holding a wealth of festivity above their heads. Thematic nods to Classical mythology, escapism in the immediate post-World War II era, and critical views borrowed from his American and European counterparts enriched his artwork more in every passing decade of the 20th century.
In a biography on Dehn, art historian Henry Adams said, “Dehn’s art becomes an emblem of something deeper, of a special moment in the history of New York and in the creation of a uniquely American culture — the moment when New York became the greatest, the most magical city in the world.” Dehn eventually became a world traveler, imbuing his artistic techniques with his experiences of Vienna, Haiti and Key West.
Dehn was also critical of World War I, refusing to serve and applying for status as a conscientious objector, a new concept at that time. He ended up in a miliary prison and then moved to Europe where he discovered a slew of modern artists embarking on new conceptions of art.
Timothy Ward, president and chairman of Ward & Ward, said, “Dehn was trained primarily as a graphic artist. He didn’t start painting until he was 40 years old. He relied a lot on his graphic skills to make a living.”
Having been a friend to and contemporary of Thomas Hart Benton, George Van Millet and Jackson Lee Nesbitt, Dehn’s penchant for color provides vibrancy during a time of abundant struggle with the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, the rise of fascism and WWII.
Not only do the artworks on display spark art historical conversation, but many of them are for sale, with the majority of them having been framed by Ward & Ward. Some of Dehn’s lithographs and watercolors on view belong to a private collection, so it’s a rare opportunity to see them in one space.
“Adolf Dehn: At Home and Abroad” continues at Ward & Ward, 521 E. 63rd St., through Dec. 31. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday. For more information, 816-333-6459 or www.ward-wardframing.com.
