Alma
Thomas Wilmer Dewing
ca. 1895-1900
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Accession Number
1929.6.35
Tags
waist length
About this artwork
Thomas Wilmer Dewing fancied intellectual, witty women and once wrote that all he ever required of his models was that they have âbrainsâ; his wife, Maria, believed his favorite types of women possessed a âdelicacy of formâ that amplified their spirituality and intellect. Alma Allen was one such model, and in this portrait Dewing emphasized these traits by focusing on her long neck and pensive expression, rather than the curves of her body or the texture of her dress. (Pyne, Art and the ...