in 1908, the brinleys returned to the united states, and daniel established a studio in new york city. during this period his work was heavily influenced by the modernist movement, with flattened forms and a deeper hued palette. brinley had his first one-man show at madison avenue galleries in 1910, exhibited at alfred stieglitz's gallery at 291, and helped organize the 1913 armory show. he was also a founding member of the association of american painters and sculptors and the grand central art galleries. in 1914 the brinleys built a home, datchet house, in silvermine (new canaan) connecticut, designed by their friend austin w. lord, and spent part of each year there for the remainder of their lives. in 1919, brinley is returned to france after the first world war to see the ravages of destruction. he was so shocked that he decided, with the "young men's christian association" (y.m.c.a), to paint the crumbling buildings in order to never forget this devastation. his drawings were gathered in a french book named "ruines de guerre" (war of ruines). brinley was a charter member of the silvermine guild of artists in 1922.