Chambre des Deputes no. II

Art Historical Context

Frank Edwin Scott’s “Chambre des Deputes no. II” offers a painted view of the historic parliamentary building in Paris, long known as the Chamber of Deputies and sometimes referred to as a courthouse. The work captures the architectural presence of this central French landmark, inviting viewers to consider its role as a seat of political life in the heart of the city. Housed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the painting entered the collection as a gift from Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney, given in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney. This donation underscores the museum’s holdings of American artists who found inspiration in European subjects during the early twentieth century. Though undated, the piece reflects the enduring appeal of Parisian civic architecture for American painters. Its placement among the museum’s paintings encourages visitors to explore how such works connect transatlantic artistic traditions with the cultural significance of Paris’s public buildings.