Le Piano

Romaine Brooks, Le Piano, exhibited 1910, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1968.18.8
Copied Romaine Brooks, Le Piano, exhibited 1910, oil on canvas, 45 3⁄4 x 64 7⁄8 in. (116.2 x 164.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1968.18.8

Artwork Details

Title
Le Piano
Artist
Date
exhibited 1910
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
45 3⁄4 x 64 7⁄8 in. (116.2 x 164.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Performing arts — music — piano
  • Figure female — knee length
Object Number
1968.18.8
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.18.8

Artwork Description

In Le Piano, Brooks elevated the familiar Aesthetic movement theme of a woman listening to music by imbuing the elegant young woman with concentration and focus. Nearly engulfed in her voluminous clothes, the figure leans forward intently within a fashionable interior. Brooks drew particular attention to her face and expression. The careful harmonies of black, white, and gray suggest the music she hears. The heavy form of the piano and the large lacquered pot of azaleas compress the space in an intimate view of the sitter, who in her absorption ignores the viewer.

The Art of Romaine Brooks, 2016