Earl Horter, Boatyard

Here two large structures frame an open space with a group of dense, interlocking boats, masts, and buildings in the distance. Spare planes, simplified forms, and flat shapes reveal Horter's interest in modernism. Strong verticals -sailboat masts, chimneys, and drainpipes -create a rhythmic dance across the image.

As a painter and printmaker, commercial artist, teacher, and art collector, Horter helped introduce modern art to Philadelphia. A brilliant draftsman, he received a silver medal for one of his prints in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. His knowledge of modernism was enhanced by his own activity as a collector; in 1934, his collection included seventeen Picassos, as well as works by Brancusi, Duchamp, Braque, and Matisse.