The Dancers, 1948
Oil on canvas, 20 x 24"
Gift of Dorothy F. and Maynard J. Weber, 1987.2.4

Max Weber was one of the first Americans to experiment with abstract art, creating bold geometric interpretations of the scenes that surrounded him in early twentieth-century New York.  In his later years, he reintroduced the figure into his work, as he did with The Dancers from 1948.  The influences of Picasso and Matisse, whom Weber had known during his years of study in Europe, are evident in this work.  Clearly, however, the strongest visual source for this piece is ancient Greek vase painting.  Weber wrote, "The aesthetic grandeur, austerity and certitude in the art of the great ancients of all races and climes are for me a constant source of inspiration and incentive."  It is precisely that—the grandeur of the stance of the dancers, the austerity of the surroundings, and the certitude of Weber's use of color, line, and form—that is the essence of this composition.

—Adapted in part from American Originals, © 1990 The American Federation of Arts, Reynolda House, and Barbara B. Millhouse