This monograph explores how John Graham became an influential figure in American painting and discusses the development of his distinctly American approach to art-making. John Graham was an American Modernist and figurative painter. He was a mentor figure to artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Arshile Gorky and a notable influence on Abstract Expressionist artists such as Lee Krasner and David Smith. This book includes more than 50 paintings and a selection of important works on paper. Scholarly essays provide insight on each stage of Graham’s career and the practice of art historical investigation, while commentary from contemporary artists offers an understanding of how Graham influenced their work. A reprint of Graham’s seminal article, "Primitive Art and Picasso," first published in 1937, reveals his academic and artistic brilliance.