The Polka Dot Dress
George Luks
1927
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Howard Weingrow
Accession Number
1969.148
Tags
glovehandbaghatfull lengthchair
About this artwork
George Luks depicted a working-class woman looking regal in her polka-dot dress, white gloves, and flowered hat. She wears her finery proudly as if to defy anyone who might look down on her. Luks felt at home in the slums of New York and often commented on the honesty and humility of workers. His portraits and genre scenes insisted on the humanity of people on the margins of society. As one Harperâs Weekly critic wrote, â. . . fearless good nature and a genuine tenderness . . . help make Geo...