Arthur B. Carles, Pheasant with Green Apple

Arthur B. Carles was born in Philadelphia, PA, and had a great influence on the development of modernism and abstract painting in America. He is best known for his daring use of color and the verve of his personality. A documentary about Carles and his accomplishments can be seen here.

Wild energy pervades this mysterious representation of a dead pheasant, the spoils of an aristocratic hunt. Thick brushstrokes with saturated colors of deep red, orange, yellow, and white describe the form and textures of the lifeless bird; markings of bright orange and red cascade down into a sweep of violet. 

“The color of freshly cut wood, of dried blood, or the color of clear stone -or of sand -or of any immovable thing in nature should be used for the fixtures of the picture.” -Arthur Carles

Carles was an influential instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) who embraced the modern age and introduced his students to the work and ideas of the European avant-garde. Of his students, those whose artwork is featured at Woodmere Art Museum include Quita Brodhead, Jane Piper, Faye Swengel Badura, Bernard Badura, Jessie Drew-Bear, Elizabeth Godshalk Burger, Morris Blackburn, and Leon Kelly.

Arthur B. Carles: Philadelphia Artist from Jonnyres on Vimeo.