The White Heron Bookmark

Joseph Stella (American, b. Italy, 1877–1946)
The White Heron, 1918–1920

Joseph Stella (1877–1946) was born in an Italian mountain village. At eighteen he immigrated to New York City, where he encountered the technology, industry, and vibrant mass of humanity that comprise urban life. During a trip to Europe in 1909, Stella was exposed to Fauvism, Cubism, and Futurism, and brought back to America a fascination with the Futurist movement. While he is best known for his abstract depictions that celebrate metropolitan themes, he also experimented by painting objects from nature. Featuring long, curvilinear rhythms and vibrant primary colors, The White Heron evokes a sense of organic spirituality far distant from Stella’s urban motifs.