painted ladies

i started off thinking today's post was going to be about one thing, and it turned out to be another. i'll see how including both does....

i began with this beautiful painting by richard emil miller. i had seen it in a book about a travelling exhibition of american impressionists put together by the smithsonian. it touched me deeply with it's capture of the moment, the light, reflections, her concentration. and of course the kimono.

i then came by this print by kunichika toyohara. it's from his series 'twenty-four hours in the life of a courtesan.' i then learned that kunichika, like many japanese artists, really liked to do series. a few of his many additional ones include "32 fashionable physiognomies,' 'Thirty-six good and evil beauties,' 'Popularity of the upstairs dressing room,' and 'Thirty-six modern restaurants.'1



after looking up kunichika, i looked up richard miller, the artist of the first painting, who, as it turns out, was yet another american who went to giverny and painted with the dappled light, strong patterning, and diagonal compositions that many of the japan-influenced impressionists were using.2

in another post, i pointed out similarities in the work between guy rose and frederick frieseke -- well, let's add richard miller, and numerous other artists who lived in giverney at that time, including lawton parker and others.

in fact, it turns out they all painted frieseke's wife, wearing that little wrap, and painted other things with astonishing similarity.