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Early modernism

The first decades of the twentieth century, when artists broke with the academy.

68 works · hang 4586 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. Dutton Lumber Yard, by Thomas Weeks Barrett, 1942
    Dutton Lumber YardThomas Weeks Barrett, 1942Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. The Repast of the Lion, by Henri Rousseau, ca. 1907
    The Repast of the LionHenri Rousseau, ca. 1907Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Mountain Landscape with Fir Trees, by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1918/19
    Mountain Landscape with Fir TreesErnst Ludwig Kirchner, 1918/19Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

First room, south wall

  1. Golden Star (Chrysogonum virginianum), by Mary Vaux Walcott, 1922
    Golden Star (Chrysogonum virginianum)Mary Vaux Walcott, 1922Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. Watercolor no. 31, Landscape with Clouds, by Allen Tucker, ca. 1930
    Watercolor no. 31, Landscape with CloudsAllen Tucker, ca. 1930Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  3. Portrait of William E. Norton, by William Penhallow Henderson, 1901
    Portrait of William E. NortonWilliam Penhallow Henderson, 1901Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  4. Vibrant yellow, red, blue, and green painting of landscape with trees and mountains.
    Landscape with Two PoplarsVasily Kandinsky, 1912Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, south wall

  1. Church, Rancho de Taos, by Selden Connor Gile, 1931
    Church, Rancho de TaosSelden Connor Gile, 1931Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. Head of a Young Girl, by Lucia Fairchild Fuller, ca. 1900
    Head of a Young GirlLucia Fairchild Fuller, ca. 1900Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  3. Mäda Primavesi (1903–2000), by Gustav Klimt, 1912–13
    Mäda Primavesi (1903–2000)Gustav Klimt, 1912–13Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. Shown from the lap up, a person with peach-colored skin sits facing us as he looks down and to our left in this vertical, stylized, portrait painting. The person’s clothing and features are outlined with thin black lines, and areas are filled in with mottled, streaked color painted with visible strokes. The person has a round face with a double chin and a small red mouth. The eyes are painted as slate-blue slivers under thin brows, one of which is cocked. The man’s short black hair is parted to one side and combed across the top of his head. He wears a white cravat tied at his neck under a rust-red jacket or shirt. Two rounded, muted blue forms below suggest crossed knees. The man’s right elbow rests next to his body, and that hand is near his lap. The background is painted with pecan brown on the left third and gray-blue on the right two-thirds.
    Monsieur DeleuAmedeo Modigliani, 1916Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, north wall

  1. Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo, by Henri Rousseau, 1908
    Fight Between a Tiger and a BuffaloHenri Rousseau, 1908Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. This print depicts a grayscale desert landscape with a prominent saguaro cactus to the left. In the background, rocky mountains are visible in the darkness. The sky shows a crescent moon and a bright star through an opening in the soft gray clouds. Sparse desert vegetation is faintly visible on the ground, and more cacti can be seen in the distance.
    New Moon and Evening StarGeorge Elbert Burr, c. 1932Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This painting shows a large jug filled with orange flowers on a woven brown surface, with three small oranges placed in front of it. The bottom half of the jug is a brownish-red color, while the top part and handles are a light tan. The jug is centered, with flowers extending slightly to the sides. The flowers in the vase are surrounded by dark green leaves and buds. The wall behind the vase is a light gray color, and the vase casts a light shadow on it.
    Marigolds and TangerinesFélix Vallotton, 1924Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Third room, north wall

  1. In the Desert, by H. Siddons Mowbray, 1915-1925
    In the DesertH. Siddons Mowbray, 1915-1925Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. On the Beach, No. 3, by Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18
    On the Beach, No. 3Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art