Arthur Dove is the first American artist known to have painted an abstract work of art, in 1910. His bold approach, which emphasized a personal, emotional response to nature, brought him to the attention of the photographer and art dealer Alfred Stieglitz. Together with John Marin and Georgia O'Keeffe, Dove was a core member of the Stieglitz Group, a small circle of American artists dedicated to modernism. They regularly exhibited at Stieglitz's New York City galleries, including 291 Gallery and, later, An American Place. A broad similarity exists between Dove and the Russian abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. Both artists tried to translate the rhythm and harmony of music into visual art, using color to express sound.
Painted during the period when Dove was abandoning representation altogether, Reflections contains all the elements characteristic of his work. The abstract composition incorporates the whimsical elements, circular shapes, organic forms, and feathered brushstrokes typical of his best canvases. The sun and moon, often depicted with wit and humor, were prominent themes in Dove's work. Reflections can be interpreted in a straightforward way as a landscape with sun, clouds, grass, and trees. But a note written by Dove implies a second, more playful interpretation. Referring to this painting Dove wrote: "Reflections (from headlight in car)," suggesting it can also be seen as the afterimage created by the headlights of a passing automobile.
To make [an image] breathe as does the rest of Nature it must have a basic rhythm.
-Arthur Dove, 1933
