Comedia

Currently not on view

Comedia

c. 1894

Thomas Wilmer Dewing (American, 1851–1938)

The title and the dramatic hand-on-hip pose suggest that the enigmatic woman in Comedia is an actress, but this painting is more about the contemplation of beauty than any specific person or event. Beauty is realized through the depiction of idealized femininity and the subtly modulated application of paint. A proponent of "art for art's sake," Dewing created what he described as a "poetic & imaginative world" that was intended to elevate the mind of the viewer to a higher plane.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Comedia

Date:

c. 1894

Artist:

Thomas Wilmer Dewing (American, 1851–1938)

Medium:

Oil on panel

Dimensions:

20 1/16 × 15 1/2 inches (51 × 39.4 cm) Framed: 28 1/2 × 23 7/8 × 2 1/2 inches (72.4 × 60.6 × 6.4 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

The Alex Simpson, Jr., Collection, 1943

Accession Number:

1943-74-2

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view