Dame en Deuil

Media - 1966.49.2 - SAAM-1966.49.2_1 - 2329
Copied Romaine Brooks, Dame en Deuil, ca. 1910, oil on canvas, 36 1824 18 in. (91.861.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1966.49.2

Artwork Details

Title
Dame en Deuil
Date
ca. 1910
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
36 1824 18 in. (91.861.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • State of being — emotion — sorrow
  • Portrait female — unidentified — waist length
Object Number
1966.49.2

Artwork Description

This unfinished painting resulted when a seamstress Brooks had hired unexpectedly arrived in full mourning attire. The juxtaposition of the sitter's solemnity and Brooks's rapidly applied brushwork over an acidic green foundation imparts a sense of introspection and reflection. When the woman later returned in her best outfit, Brooks abandoned the painting.

The Art of Romaine Brooks, 2016