Painter: Charles Demuth

Demuth completed eight abstract portraits between 1924 and 1929 as tributes to modern American artists, writers, and performers. Though not a physical likeness, Demuth created this portrait of his friend, the poet and physician William Carlos Williams, using imagery from Williams’s poem "The Great Figure," which evokes the sights and sounds of a fire engine speeding down the street. The intersecting lines, repeated "5," round forms of the numbers, lights, street lamp, and blaring sirens of the red fire engine together infuse the painting with a vibrant, urban energy. Demuth derived the title from the poem, which reads:
Among the rain
and lights
I saw the figure 5
in gold
on a red
firetruck
moving
tense
unheeded
to gong clangs
siren howls
and wheels rumbling
through the dark city

From the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Printed Artwork

This canvas print wall art is sure to make a statement in any space. It's hand-stretched on a poly-cotton blend canvas with a matte finish coating.

• Printed and hand-stretched in the U.S.A by professionals
• Photo-quality prints
• Printed on textured and fade-resistant canvas (OBA-Free)
• Acid-free, PH neutral, poly-cotton base
• 20.5 mil-thick poly-cotton blend canvas, 470gsm
• 1.5" deep
• Hand-stretched
• Hand-glued solid wood stretcher bars
• Matte finish coating
• Mounting brackets included - centered on frame