Young Woman

Abbott H. Thayer

ca. 1898 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Thayer frequently painted idealized women, a popular subject in late nineteenth-century art. The model for this painting was Bessie Price (1879–1968), an Irish immigrant who worked as a servant in the Thayer household and soon became one of the artist's favorite models. The figure is draped in classical style, recalling ancient Rome, yet she is also a "profoundly human presence," as the critic Royal Cortissoz wrote in 1923. "Young Woman" received a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition. The work retains its original frame, which was inspired by the designs of the architect Stanford White.

Artist

Abbott H. Thayer

Date

ca. 1898

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of George A. Hearn, 1906