Drawing on Covert's daybooks and art in the collection of the late Charles Covert Arensberg, this biography not only establishes that Covert continued his artistic explorations long after his supposed retirement in 1923, but also introduces several hitherto lost works.

Although little known today, John R. Covert (1882-1960) played a pivotal role in the development of American modernism. He was a founder of the Society of Independent Artists, an active participant in the Societe Anonyme, and produced innovative paintings and collage-constructions that reflect his experiences of the renowned art collection of his cousin, Walter Arensberg. Yet, in 1923, Covert broke off his association with key modernists like Marcel Duchamp and Charles Demuth, closed his New York studio, and went to work as a salesman for the Vesuvius Crucible Company of Pittsburgh. Generally, the artist's story is thought to end there, but"