Masts 1919

Charles Demuth painted ‘Masts’ with oil on canvas, working with layered geometric forms, a muted palette, and hard-edged lines. It’s as if he's constructing architecture rather than painting it. The painting is sparse, almost a diagram, with masts and rigging rendered as precise, intersecting planes. I feel like Demuth is not just representing a scene but abstracting it, reducing it to its essential geometric components. The palette, restricted to whites, grays, and earthy reds, contributes to the painting's austere, almost industrial feel. There's something very American about it – the way it combines precision with a stark, unadorned aesthetic. This reminds me of Stuart Davis, another American modernist, who was similarly interested in the geometry of urban and industrial landscapes. It’s like they were both trying to find a new visual language to capture the spirit of a rapidly changing world.