Landscape at Lavoir by Arthur Garfield Dove, c. 1908

Arthur Garfield Dove (1880-1946) was an American painter often regarded as one of the pioneers of abstract art in America. Born in Canandaigua, New York, Dove studied at Cornell University before moving to New York City to pursue a career as an illustrator. He began painting in the early 1900s and was initially influenced by the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements. In the 1910s Dove's work began to move towards abstraction, with his paintings becoming more simplified and focused on colour and form. He was particularly interested in the natural world and many of his abstract works were inspired by landscapes and natural phenomena. Dove's work was also influenced by music and he often gave his paintings musical titles. Dove's work was exhibited alongside other American modernists such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Marsden Hartley, and he became known for his unique style of abstraction. He continued to paint throughout his life and was recognised as one of America's most important artists at the time of his death in 1946. Today, his work can be found in major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.