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Dora Wheeler (1882-1883), William Merritt Chase (American, 1849 - 1916)
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Dora Wheeler (1882-1883), William Merritt Chase (American, 1849 - 1916) The subject of this portrait, Dora Wheeler1857-1940), was William Merritt Chase's first New York pupil after he returned to this country from Europe. Here she is poised to receive guests at one of the teas she served every Thursday in her garret studio in New York. The prominence of the dramatic, gold silk tapestry behind her is no accident, for Wheeler spent much of her career designing embroidered textiles.At the time of Chase's portrait, Wheeler's mother, Candace, had just broken off her partnership with Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933) to establish a new decorating firm with her daughter and several other woman artists-one of the first businesses in the United States to be staffed entirely by women. This flamboyant painting was shown at international exhibitions in Munich and Paris in 1883 before being given to the sitter, who in turn gave it to the museum. Page 3 of 14 | On the next page: The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1835), Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, b. 1775) |
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