The case of Manierre Dawson is interesting, and his work been called "surprising and prophetic". During a tour of Europe in 1910, he started painting true abstract works. Back in America, he became convinced that he could not earn a living at art, and became a farmer. He was forgotten until a rediscovery in 1963. He may have been the first person to paint a completely abstract work. He was probably the earliest American abstract artist, slightly ahead of Arthur Dove. 