Early Life and Career

Milton Clark Avery, an American modern painter, was born on March 7, 1885, in Altmar, New York. He moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City. As the son of a tanner, Avery began working at a local factory at the age of 16 and supported himself with various blue-collar jobs.

Artistic Journey

Avery's interest in art led him to attend classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students in Hartford. He practiced painting in obscurity, receiving a conservative art education. In 1917, he began working night jobs to paint during the daytime.

Marriage and Support

In 1924, Avery met Sally Michel, a young art student, and they married in 1926. Her income as an illustrator enabled him to focus more on painting. They had a daughter, March Avery, in 1932.

Rise to Prominence

Avery's big break came when Roy Neuberger discovered his work and decided to promote it. Neuberger bought over 100 of Avery's paintings, including Gaspé Landscape, and lent or donated them to museums worldwide. This exposure led to Avery becoming a highly respected and successful painter.

Associations and Legacy

Avery befriended notable artists like Adolph Gottlieb and Mark Rothko in New York City during the 1930s-40s. The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., was the first museum to purchase one of Avery's paintings in 1929 and gave him his first solo exhibition in 1944.

Artistic Style and Influences

Avery's work is seminal to American abstract painting, focusing on color relations. His style was influenced by French Fauvism and German Expressionism, with his early work resembling Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's paintings. By the 1940s, Avery's style became more similar to Henri Matisse, using color with great subtlety.

• Key Artworks:
  • Gaspé Landscape
  • Central Park
  • The Flight of Birds
• Museums featuring Avery's work:
  • The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. View Milton Avery's Artworks on WahooArt
  • Montefiore Hospital, New York
• Notable Associations:
  • Adolph Gottlieb
  • Mark Rothko

Legacy and Death

Avery died on January 3, 1965, at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, New York. He is buried in the Artist's Cemetery in Woodstock, Ulster County, New York. After his death, his widow, Sally Avery, donated his personal papers to the Archives of American Art, a research center of the Smithsonian Institution. Explore more artists on WahooArt