Stuart Davis (December 7, 1892 - June 24, 1964), American painter, was born in Philadelphia . He studied painting under Robert Henri, leader of the early modern art group the Eight. Davis's was one of the youngest painters to exhibit in controversial Armory Show of 1913. Exposed at this exhibition to the work of such artists as van Gogh and Picasso, Davis became a committed "modern" artist and a major exponent of cubism in America. He is most famous for his abstract still lifes and landscapes. His use of contemporary subject matter such as cigarette packages, spark plug ads and the contemporary American landscape make him a proto-Pop artist.
Some of his famous painting include:
- "Lucky Strike" (1921)
- "Swing Landscape" (1938)
- "Report from Rockport" (1940)
- ""Little Big Still Life (1950)
- "Owh! In San Paó" (1951)
- "Ready to Wear" (1955)
- "Edison Mazda"
"Swing Landscape" was a 7 by 14 foot mural painted for a Brooklyn public housing project. It was deemed "too modern" by the WPA and was sent to a government warehouse.