Artwork
The Seamstress
The Seamstress is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Joseph Rodefer DeCamp. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:upper left: JOSEPH-DE-CAMP-1916
About this work
Technique & Style
As a classification of painting, the piece utilizes traditional materials of oil paint applied to a woven fabric support.
Created in 1916, The Seamstress is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work measures approximately 92.2 to 92.7 centimeters in height and between 71.1 and 71.6 centimeters in width, reflecting slight variations in recorded dimensions. As a classification of painting, the piece utilizes traditional materials of oil paint applied to a woven fabric support.
The artwork remains part of the collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having previously been held by the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
History & Provenance
Joseph Rodefer DeCamp completed The Seamstress in 1916 as an oil painting on canvas. That same year, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington purchased the work directly from the artist. The painting remained in the Corcoran's collection until 2014, when it was acquired by the National Gallery of Art, also located in Washington, D.C.
The Seamstress was purchased directly from the artist Joseph Rodefer DeCamp in 1916 by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington. The painting remained in the Corcoran's collection until 2014, at which point it was acquired by the National Gallery of Art, also located in Washington, D.C. While the work is documented as part of the holdings of these two institutions, the available records do not list specific inventory numbers or detail any public exhibitions in which the painting has been displayed.
Context
Joseph Rodefer DeCamp painted The Seamstress in 1916, a work held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which acquired it in 2014 from the Corcoran Gallery of Art's collection.
Scholarly attention to the painting remains limited, though its inclusion in major institutional collections underscores its significance within DeCamp's oeuvre and the broader American realist tradition.
The piece is recognized as part of the National Gallery of Art's collection and was previously part of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, reflecting its established provenance and institutional importance.
Overview
Joseph Rodefer DeCamp’s 1916 oil on canvas, titled The Seamseal, portrays a domestic interior centered on a solitary woman engaged in needlework. The composition is anchored by a window that admits muted daylight, illuminating the figure’s red hair and white dress as she works at a table.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a quiet moment of everyday labor, emphasizing the concentration and calm of a seamstress at work. The juxtaposition of the bright dress against the subdued surroundings underscores the personal focus of the activity within a modest, perhaps middle‑class, setting.
Artist & collection
