Artwork
Lady with a Mask
Lady with a Mask is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Thomas Dewing. It dates from 1911 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: T. W. Dewing
About this work
Technique & Style
The work was created in 1911 using oil paint applied to a canvas support, a technique typical of early‑20th‑century American portraiture.
Lady with a Mask is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work was created in 1911 using oil paint applied to a canvas support, a technique typical of early‑20th‑century American portraiture. Its dimensions measure 56.2 cm in height by 61.3 cm in width, placing it within the portrait genre.
The painting entered the artist’s studio in New York, was sold to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1911, and later entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains on public view.
History & Provenance
Lady with a Mask was painted by Thomas Wilmer Dewing in 1911 in oil on canvas. The work first remained in the artist's own collection in New York City before passing to the dealer N.E. Montross, also in New York. It was purchased in 1911 by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where it stayed until 2014, when it was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., its present institutional home.
Lady with a Mask is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The painting entered the institution in 2014 following its acquisition from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had originally purchased the work directly from the dealer N.E. Montross in 1911. Prior to this transaction, the canvas remained in the personal collection of the artist, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, in New York City.
No specific exhibition history or inventory accession numbers for the work are provided in the available records.
Overview
Lady with a Mask is an oil painting created by Thomas Wilmer Dewing in 1911. This portrait, executed in oil on canvas, presents a solitary female figure. It exemplifies Dewing's characteristic approach to depicting women, often emphasizing an air of introspection and refined elegance within a carefully composed setting.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork features a woman seated in a chair, her form enveloped by a flowing, light-colored dress. She holds a small mask delicately in one hand, while an arm rests casually on the chair. Her short, curly hair frames a contemplative expression, inviting viewers to consider the implications of the object she presents.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Wilmer Dewing (May 4, 1851 – November 5, 1938) was an American painter working at the turn of the 20th century.
