Skip to main content

Gene Davis Paintings

American, 1920-1985
Davis was born in Washington D.C. in 1920 and spent nearly all his life there. Before he began to paint in 1949, he worked as a sportswriter, covering the Washington Football Team and other local teams. Working as a journalist in the late 1940s, he covered the Roosevelt and Truman presidential administrations, and was often President Truman's partner for poker games. His first art studio was in his apartment on Scott Circle; later he worked out of a studio on Pennsylvania Avenue. Davis's first solo exhibition of drawings was at the Dupont Theater Gallery in 1952, and his first exhibition of paintings was at Catholic University in 1953. A decade later he participated in the "Washington Color Painters" exhibit at the Washington Gallery of Modern Art in Washington, DC, which traveled to other venues around the US, and launched the recognition of the Washington Color School as a regional movement in which Davis was a central figure. The Washington painters were among the most prominent of the mid-century color field painters. Though, he worked in a variety of media and styles, including ink, oil, acrylic, video, and collage, Davis is best known by far for his acrylic paintings (mostly on canvas) of colorful vertical stripes, which he began to paint in 1958. The paintings typically repeat particular colors to create a sense of rhythm and repetition with variations. One of the best-known of his paintings, "Black Grey Beat" (1964), owned by the Smithsonian American Art Museum reinforces these musical comparisons in its title. The pairs of alternating black and grey stripes are repeated across the canvas, and recognizable even as other colors are substituted for black and grey, and returned to even as the repetition of dark and light pairs is here and there broken by sharply contrasting colors. In 1972 Davis created Franklin's Footpath, which was at the time the world's largest artwork, by painting colorful stripes on the street in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the world's largest painting, Niagara (43,680 square feet), in a parking lot in Lewiston, NY. His "micro-paintings", at the other extreme, were as small as 3/8 of an inch square. For a public work in a different medium altogether, he designed the color patterns of the "Solar Wall," a set of tubes filled with dyed water and backlit by fluorescent lights, at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Davis began teaching in 1966 at the Corcoran School of Art, where he became a permanent member of the faculty. His works are in the collections of, among others, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN, The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection in Albany, NY, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He died on April 6, 1985 in Washington, DC.
to
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1

Use search to find more

33
794
779
759
660

Use search to find more

Artist: Gene Davis
Batman Painting, Graphite and Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Mid-20th Century
Batman Painting, Graphite and Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Mid-20th Century

Batman Painting, Graphite and Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Mid-20th Century

By Gene Davis

Located in New York, NY

Gene Davis (1920-1985) American, Washington, D.C. “Batman” 1975 Graphite and acrylic on raw canvas Signed on reverse: Gene Davis 1975 Batman Davis is known primarily for the stripe...

Category

Mid-20th Century Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Graphite

Related Items
9.77 Color-Field Abstract Painting on Canvas, Acrylic, 1970s, signed
9.77 Color-Field Abstract Painting on Canvas, Acrylic, 1970s, signed

9.77 Color-Field Abstract Painting on Canvas, Acrylic, 1970s, signed

By Mala Breuer

Located in Phoenix, AZ

Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After high school she attended the, now, San Francisco A...

Category

1970s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

#28, Elemental Concerns (Abstract Expressionist Color Field Painting)
#28, Elemental Concerns (Abstract Expressionist Color Field Painting)

#28, Elemental Concerns (Abstract Expressionist Color Field Painting)

By Douglas M. Olsen

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Douglas M. Olsen (b. 1960). #28, Elemental Concerns, 1980. Watercolor on rag paper, 15.5 x 22.5 inches. Signed, titled and dated on verso.

Category

20th Century Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Rag Paper, Graphite

6.15.96
6.15.96

Mala Breuer6.15.96, 1996

$5,000

H 30 in W 30 in D 0.75 in

6.15.96

By Mala Breuer

Located in Phoenix, AZ

acrylic on gessoed linen Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After high school she attende...

Category

1990s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Linen, Acrylic

4.4.99, Color-Field Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 59.75, signed
4.4.99, Color-Field Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 59.75, signed

4.4.99, Color-Field Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 59.75, signed

By Mala Breuer

Located in Phoenix, AZ

acrylic on canvas 1927 - 2017 Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After high school she att...

Category

1990s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

1975 Abstract Color-Field Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, signed
1975 Abstract Color-Field Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, signed

1975 Abstract Color-Field Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, signed

By Mala Breuer

Located in Phoenix, AZ

Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After high school she attended the, now, San Francisco A...

Category

1970s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

1976 (7) Color-Field Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Unframed, signed
1976 (7) Color-Field Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Unframed, signed

1976 (7) Color-Field Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Unframed, signed

By Mala Breuer

Located in Phoenix, AZ

acrylic on canvas 1927 - 2017 Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After high school she att...

Category

1970s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Purple People Eaters 9Abstract Expressionist Color Field Painting)
The Purple People Eaters 9Abstract Expressionist Color Field Painting)

The Purple People Eaters 9Abstract Expressionist Color Field Painting)

By Douglas M. Olsen

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Douglas M. Olsen (b. 1960). The Purple People Eaters, 1979. Watercolor on rag paper, 15.5 x 22.5 inches. Signed, titled and dated on verso.

Category

20th Century Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Rag Paper, Graphite

"Trace" Gene Hedge, Color Field, Yellow Ocre, Blue and Red Forms, Fluid Color
"Trace" Gene Hedge, Color Field, Yellow Ocre, Blue and Red Forms, Fluid Color

"Trace" Gene Hedge, Color Field, Yellow Ocre, Blue and Red Forms, Fluid Color

By Gene Hedge 1

Located in New York, NY

Gene Hedge Trace, circa 1970 Acrylic on canvas 19 5/8 x 17 inches Provenance Estate of the artist Gene Hedge was born (1928) and raised in rural Indiana. After military service, h...

Category

1970s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Pagoda Hymn: Large Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed 38 x 61 in, 1980s
Pagoda Hymn: Large Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed 38 x 61 in, 1980s

Pagoda Hymn: Large Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed 38 x 61 in, 1980s

By Charles Robb

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This large abstract acrylic painting is by Charles Robb, the son of Jack Bush. The lyrical and poetic paintings of Charles Robb often create an emotional atmosphere. Robb didn’t fol...

Category

1980s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

From Dusk: Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 50 x 79.5 Inches, 1980s
From Dusk: Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 50 x 79.5 Inches, 1980s

From Dusk: Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 50 x 79.5 Inches, 1980s

By Charles Robb

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This abstract painting is by Charles Robb, son of the famous Canadian artist Jack Bush. Charles Robb’s lyrical, expressive paintings are highly regarded by critics and collectors worldwide. Like his internationally celebrated father, abstract artist, Jack Bush, he was a consummate colourist who painted under the name, Charles Robb. Robb’s distinctive rhythmic style also reflected another lifelong passion—music—for he was a professional jazz drummer who liked to listen to music as he painted. He typically began each painting by building up layers of paint and vibrant markings, creating a richly textured surface with visible depth. His colour palette often featured intriguing choices and unusual colour combinations. Robb’s paintings...

Category

1980s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Eclipse

Kory TwaddleEclipse, 2018

$1,150

H 8 in W 10 in D 0.3 in

Eclipse

By Kory Twaddle

Located in Kansas City, MO

Artist : Kory Twaddle Title : Doorway Materials : Acrylic and sand medium on photographic advertisement board (cardboard) Date : 2018 Dimensions : 8 x 10 x...

Category

2010s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper, Acrylic, Tempera, Watercolor, Graphite

"Floating Spring #2" Friedel Dzubas, Color Field, Yellow, Abstract Painting
"Floating Spring #2" Friedel Dzubas, Color Field, Yellow, Abstract Painting

"Floating Spring #2" Friedel Dzubas, Color Field, Yellow, Abstract Painting

By Friedel Dzubas

Located in New York, NY

Friedel Dzubas Floating Spring #2, 1968 Magna on canvas 20 x 55 inches Provenance The artist Estate of the artist Exhibited New York, Lincoln Glenn Gallery, A Tribute to André: Art...

Category

1960s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled #396: Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed 17 x 21 in, Signed
Untitled #396: Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed 17 x 21 in, Signed

Untitled #396: Abstract Acrylic Painting, Framed 17 x 21 in, Signed

By Charles Robb

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This abstract acrylic painting is by Charles Robb, the son of Jack Bush. In the 1990s, Charles Robb began to add more impasto-thick layers of paint that gave his work rich, visible ...

Category

1990s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Desert Slide: Abstract Acrylic on Paper, Framed 22.25 x 27.5 in
Desert Slide: Abstract Acrylic on Paper, Framed 22.25 x 27.5 in

Desert Slide: Abstract Acrylic on Paper, Framed 22.25 x 27.5 in

By Charles Robb

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This abstract acrylic painting on paper is by Charles Robb, the son of Jack Bush. Charles Robb was a consummate colourist, following in the tradition of his internationally renowned...

Category

1980s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

African Journal: Color-Field Abstract Painting, Signed, Canvas
African Journal: Color-Field Abstract Painting, Signed, Canvas

African Journal: Color-Field Abstract Painting, Signed, Canvas

By Charles Robb

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This large colourful abstract painting is by Charles Robb, son of the famous Canadian artist Jack Bush. Charles Robb’s lyrical, expressive paintings are highly regarded by critics and collectors worldwide. Like his internationally celebrated father, abstract artist, Jack Bush, he was a consummate colourist who painted under the name, Charles Robb. Robb’s distinctive rhythmic style also reflected another lifelong passion—music—for he was a professional jazz drummer who liked to listen to music as he painted. He typically began each painting by building up layers of paint and vibrant markings, creating a richly textured surface with visible depth. His colour palette often featured intriguing choices and unusual colour combinations. Robb’s paintings...

Category

1980s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Previously Available Items
Popsicle
Popsicle

Gene DavisPopsicle, 1969

Sold

H 68.5 in W 67.5 in

Popsicle

By Gene Davis

Located in Washington, DC

Artist: Gene Davis Title: Popsicle Medium: Acrylic on canvas Date: 1969 Edition: Unique Canvas Size: 68 1/2" x 67 1/2" Signature: Stamped signature, verso

Category

1960s Abstract Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Gene Davis Original Drawing
Gene Davis Original Drawing

Gene DavisGene Davis Original Drawing, 1970s

Sold

H 17.5 in W 21.5 in D 1 in

Gene Davis Original Drawing

By Gene Davis

Located in Washington, DC

Original work on paper by Washington Color School artist Gene Davis (1920-1985). Signed bottom left and dedicated to "Patti". Work has been archival framed. Unframed the work measur...

Category

1970s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Paper, Crayon, Color Pencil

Lunar Sand Box

Lunar Sand Box

By Gene Davis

Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA

PROVENANCE: Max Protetch Gallery, Wshington, D.C.; Private Collection, Washington D.C. Signed, titled and dated verso. Framed

Category

1970s Color-Field Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Sky Cycle
Sky Cycle

Gene DavisSky Cycle, 1978

Sold

H 49 in W 35 in

Sky Cycle

By Gene Davis

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Gene Davis, American (1920 - 1985) Title: Sky Cycle Year: 1978 Medium: Oil on Raw Canvas, signed and dated verso Size: 47 x 33 in. (119.38 x 83.82 cm) Frame Size: 49 x 35 i...

Category

1970s Minimalist Gene Davis Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Gene Davis paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Gene Davis paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Gene Davis in canvas, fabric, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the minimalist style. Not every interior allows for large Gene Davis paintings, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Yvette Cohen, Jan Maarten Voskuil, and Clifford Singer. Gene Davis paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $12,000 and tops out at $60,000, while the average work can sell for $36,000.