A Pioneer of American Abstraction: The Life and Art of Arthur Garfield Dove Arthur Garfield Dove, born in 1880 in Canandaigua, New York, stands as a pivotal figure in the narrative of American modern art—not merely an artist who embraced abstraction, but arguably its first true champion on American soil. His very name—Arthur Garfield, bestowed upon him by parents captivated by the political fervor of the 1880 presidential election—hints at a life lived amidst shifting currents and bold new directions. Dove’s early years were steeped in privilege, yet his artistic inclinations set him apart f…