Study for 'Egg Beater No. 4'

The present work belongs to Stuart Davis' eminent Egg Beater series, comprised of four paintings–each with a full-scale preparatory drawing, such as the present work. After drawing out his compositions in black and white, Davis created gouache versions of his sketches before finalizing the completed works in oil. As Davis worked as a commercial illustrator for years before establishing himself in the world of fine art, preparatory drawings were integral to his artistic practice, as he believed painting and drawing to be "identical processes," with color simply clarifying the forms already established in drawing. (M. Birmingham, Dynamic Impulse: The Drawings of Stuart Davis, exhibition catalogue, Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York, 2008, p. 16) The preparatory stages of each work, like the present example, emphasize Davis’s thoughtful approach to shape and the intricate intersections of planes.