Fair Critics
A native of Kentucky, Curran moved in 1881 to New York, where he studied at the National Academy of Design and became a popular painter of genre scenes and portraits. Here, he has depicted a model presenting her image to an audience of two "fair critics." The artist, with his palette on his knee, attempts to gauge their reactions. The lavish interior recalls William Merritt Chase’s eclectic and abundantly equipped studio, which inspired many of his contemporaries. A handsome studio signified the effort to create beauty for its own sake and reassured clients of its proprietor’s sophisticated taste.
Artwork Details
- Title: Fair Critics
- Artist: Charles Courtney Curran (1861–1942)
- Date: 1887
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 18 x 32 in. (45.7 x 81.3 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Daniel and Mathew Wolf, in memory of Diane R. Wolf, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.128
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Charles Courtney Curran
1922
Cecilia Beaux
1894
Albert Bierstadt
1863
George Caleb Bingham
1845
William Merritt Chase
ca. 1892
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