Paper Plates

Prints and Drawings

1929

Helen Torr
American, 1886-1967

A gifted modernist who studied art at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry in Pennsylvania, Helen Torr struggled for recognition throughout her career, her accomplishments often overshadowed by those of her second husband, Arthur Dove. Like him, she exhibited in the New York gallery of the photographer and dealer Alfred Stieglitz, who eventually described Torr’s work as “too frail.” A reappraisal of her work in recent decades, however, has garnered her a place of significance among the New York avant-garde. This watercolor demonstrates her willingness to experiment and her interest in flat, rhythmic designs and distinctive color.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Helen Torr
Title: Paper Plates
Place: United States (Artist's nationality)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1929
Medium: Gouache and watercolor, over graphite on ivory wove paper
Dimensions: 30.4 × 22.6 cm (12 × 8 15/16 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Jamee J. and Marshall Field
Reference Number: 1994.747

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