Morris Graves

One of a pair of waterfall paintings by Graves, this is the darker, moodier of the two while the other employs a more playful, even electric palette. These were likely painted at The Rock on Fidalgo Island in the middle of WW II, just after Graves' painful experience of filing as a conscientious objector to the war. His application failed and he was jailed briefly.

The previous year, 1942 was the beginning of his spectacular success with his first of 18 shows with Marian Willard Gallery, from whence these paintings come. Also in 1942 Graves exhibited in his first Whitney Annual and in every consecutive Annual from 1942 - 1967.