Rooftops

During the late 1910s Charles Demuth painted a series of Cubist explorations of rooftops and trees that are direct precursors to his later Precisionist masterpieces. In Rooftops of 1918, Demuth uses sharp diagonal lines to point the viewer’s eye to the center of the composition, while sinuous branches in the upper background contrast the hard-edged planes. Barbara Haskell explains, "Cézanne’s work offered Demuth a model for integrating angular forms with the kind of sensuous, organic shapes with which he had worked earlier. In this way he eased into Cubism, setting the biomorphic forms of trees and branches within a subtly shifting structure of ruler-drawn lines and planes." (Charles Demuth, New York, 1987, p. 126) This juxtaposition is imbued with an evanescent quality through Demuth’s skillful control of the watercolor medium. He blots some areas to create a mottled effect, and places grid lines in others, adding texture to the composition. These variances create depth and complexity, suggesting the effects of light and creating a work that is both delicate and arresting.