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Figure in Sunlight (Artist's Wife)

Object Details

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John Twachtman painted many portraits of his wife and children between 1889 and 1902. These were among the few figural works he made during a career devoted mostly to landscape painting. Twachtman did not believe in stiff, formal poses, and in this image he painted Martha seated comfortably in front of the family's small farmhouse.He had led a nomadic life before marrying and settling in Connecticut, and the soft,glowing colors of this scene convey the comfort of his new home and family. The blurred outlines and rich yellows and greens of the background evoke the warm, hazy atmosphere of a summer day.
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Artist
John Henry Twachtman, born Cincinnati, OH 1853-died Gloucester, MA 1902
Sitter
Martha Scudder. Twachtman
Date
ca. 1890-1900
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
26 1/8 x 21 1/4 in. (66.4 x 53.9 cm)
Type
Painting
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
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