Tobey, Mark

(born Dec. 11, 1890, Centerville, Wis., U.S.—died April 24, 1976, Basel, Switz.) U.S. painter. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1918 he converted to the Baha'i religion and his work became inspired by Asian art and thought. In the 1930s he achieved notoriety with his “white writing” paintings, consisting of a web of calligraphic marks painted in white on a gray or coloured ground (e.g., Broadway, 1936), which soon displaced his representational work. His style is distinguished by his use of the small format and a refined execution in watercolour, tempera, or pastel. In the 1950s he exerted much influence abroad, especially on French Tachism.

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