Milton Avery’s Sheep painting is a vivid example of his unique Expressionism style, which showcased abstract forms and distinct use of color to depict American scenes. His work bridged early modernist movements such as Impressionism with mid-century genres like color field painting. Avery’s use of color and drawing style separates him from the conventional painting of his era. Born in 1893 in New York, Avery worked on numerous noticeable paintings throughout his career.
One such famous artwork is Checker Players from 1943, which showcases Avery’s signature blend of bold colors combined with simple shapes that create an almost evocative effect. Sheep in a Landscape, another masterpiece by the artist sold for an unexpectedly high price at auction in 2008. The strength of its colors and abstraction makes it unique compared to some other works from the same period.
Although initially considered too radical for being too abstract, Milton Avery’s works were later overlooked when Abstract Expressionism dominated the scene for being too representational. However, this does not undermine his standing among Modern painters in America. The scale he used for most paintings increased significantly by 1957 when he went away from small panels towards larger canvases.
