Lady in White, Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1901)
An elegant woman poses in profile. Though the painting’s small size and close view would suggest a certain intimacy, she seems quite remote and absorbed in her own thoughts. In late 19th-century America, women were understood to maintain ideals of truth and beauty, which the woman in this painting embodies. She is presented more as an object to be enjoyed for its refinement, like the graceful Empire chair, antique gown, and magnificent gilded frame surrounding the painting.
