Artist
Patrick Henry Bruce (American, 1881–1936)American, 1881–1936
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Peinture/Nature Morte
Datec. 1920–1921
PlaceFrance
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions35 × 46 in.
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Object number78.182
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 203
Exposé
Explore Further
Department
American ArtObject Type
1903. His early paintings assimilated the
lessons of Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse,
and he was briefly associated with the
American Synchromists. From 1917 on, stilllife subjects became his exclusive focus.
He employed mechanical drafting tools to
achieve the hard-edge silhouettes seen in
this example, often working on a single
canvas for extended periods as he built up
certain sections of the composition while
leaving others seemingly unfinished. The
resulting tension between strict organization
and improvisation distinguishes Bruce’s work,
although he received very little attention
during his lifetime and died in obscurity.
Provenance Research Ongoing Exhibition History"Modern American Paintings," The National Art Gallery and Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens, September 20–November 7, 1982.
"Direction and Diversity: Twentieth Century Art in the Museum Collection," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, May 21–September 3, 1988.
"Patrick Henry Bruce: American Modernist," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, May 31–July 29, 1979; Museum of Modern Art, New York, August 22–October 21, 1979; Virginia Museum, Richmond, November 26, 1979–January 6, 1980.
"Collection: A Texas Phenomenon," McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, November 21–December 24, 1986.
"Once Upon a Time in America," Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Foundation Corboud, Cologne, Germany, November 23, 2018–March 24, 2019.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
William Henry Huddle
c. 1860
Oil on canvas
B.69.404
Sir Henry Raeburn
c. 1800
Oil on canvas
BF.1986.15
