author
Arthur W. (Arthur Wesley) Dow
1857–1922
Best known as an influential American artist and teacher, he helped generations of students think about art through line, color, and composition rather than simple imitation. His ideas, shaped in part by Japanese art, made him an important figure in American art education and the Arts and Crafts movement.
1 Audiobook
Composition A series of exercises in art structure for the use of students and teachers
by Arthur W. (Arthur Wesley) Dow
About the author
Born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1857, Arthur Wesley Dow became a painter, printmaker, photographer, and teacher whose work bridged studio practice and art education. He studied in Boston and later at the Académie Julian in Paris before returning to the United States.
A turning point in his career came through his study of Japanese art, especially under the influence of Ernest Fenollosa. Dow built a teaching approach around harmony, line, notan, and color, and shared those ideas in his widely used book Composition. He taught at several major institutions, including Pratt Institute, the Art Students League, Teachers College at Columbia University, and his own summer school in Ipswich.
Dow is remembered not only for his landscapes, prints, and photographs, but also for the lasting reach of his teaching. His ideas shaped American design education and influenced later artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe through the circle of teachers who carried his methods forward. He died in 1922 in New York City.