Milton Avery, Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London: 16 July-16 October 2022

This is archived material. It is for reference purposes only.

This is your first chance  to see the North American painter Milton Avery’s work this side of the Atlantic.

 He is considered one of North America’s greatest 20th-century colourists, whose work is celebrated by abstract expressionists Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman. The New York Times has gone on to say, “Only Matisse – to whose art he owed much, of course – produced a greater achievement in this respect”.

Bringing together a selection of 70 paintings from the 1930s – 1960s which are some of his most celebrated, this comprehensive exhibition of Avery’s work allows you to appreciate his vision of the world, through his use of colour and simplified forms. The work is independent in its artistic style, described as falling between the movements of American Impressionists and the Abstract Expressionists, which has greatly influenced the future of art and artistic styles.

The works mainly depict scenes from everyday life such as portraits of loved ones and landscapes of his surroundings from his visits to Maine and Cape Cod. His use of colour is often commented on for its balance and sensibility, which, as these paintings aren’t purveying a political message, add a depth to the paintings for everyone to enjoy and think about as relatable depictions of ordinary life. According to Rothko, Avery celebrated the world around him with a poetry that “penetrated every pore of the canvas to the very last touch of the brush”.

While it will display an array of Avery’s work, some of the standout works at this exhibition will include: Boathouse by the Sea (1959), Seaside (1931), Little Fox River (1942) and Self-portrait (1941). The display will run between the 3rd July to the 26th September 2021, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. 

Milton Avery, Seaside, 1931. ©2020 Milton Avery Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London 2020. Courtesy Victoria Miro and Waqas Wajahat
Milton Avery, Seaside, 1931. ©2020 Milton Avery Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London 2020. Courtesy Victoria Miro and Waqas Wajahat

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Tuesday:
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Wednesday:
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Thursday:
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Friday:
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Saturday:
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Sunday:
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