Arthur Dove - Later Life and Death

Later Life and Death

Dove suffered from heart disease and Bright's disease through the late 1930s. He suffered a heart attack in 1939 and his health never fully recovered. In 1946 Dove had his last show with nine new paintings and made his final visit to the gallery and saw Stieglitz for the last time. In July of that year their first grandchild Toni was born. A little more than a month after the show closed in July, Stieglitz died of heart failure. Badly shaken from his friend’s death, Dove lived for only four more months. Although he became partially paralyzed by a stroke, he continued with Torr's help by guiding the brush as he painted until he collapsed and died at Huntington Hospital. Arthur Dove died on November 23, 1946 following a second heart attack and kidney failure. In October, just before his death, Dove wrote to Phillips for the last time:

You have no idea what sending on those checks to me at this time. After fighting for an idea all your life I realize that your backing has saved it for me and meant to thank you with all my heart and soul for what you have done. It has been marvelous. So many letters have been written and not mailed and owing to having been in bed a great deal of time this summer, the paintings were about all I could muster up enough energy to do what I considered the best of my ability. Just before Stieglitz’s death I took some paintings to him that I considered as having something new in the. He immediately walked right up to them and spoke of the new ideas. His intuition in that way was remarkable and I am so glad to have been allowed to live during his and your lifetimes. It has been a great privilege for which I am truly thankful.

Arthur Dove’s granddaughter is the interactive artist Toni Dove.

The Estate of Arthur Dove is represented by the Terry Dintenfass Gallery.