Bessie Springs Smith White (Mrs. Stanford White)

1887

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 764

Paris-trained Dewing is celebrated for his decorative paintings associated with the American Aesthetic Movement. This evocative half-length depiction of Bessie Springs Smith White (1862-1950)—the wife of the artist’s close friend, the architect Stanford White—belongs to a series of intimate, small-format portraits of subjects close to Dewing. From its first appearance in the spring 1887 exhibition of the Society of American Artists—the organization favored by progressive painters and sculptors—the Smith White portrait has been acclaimed as one of Dewing’s most exquisite and affecting works. The sympathetic depiction of Smith White captures her lively personality in a way that distinguishes it from other decorative portraits of the period. The painting is enhanced by its virtuosic pierced-work frame, designed by the sitter’s husband and reportedly inspired by contemporary lacework.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Bessie Springs Smith White (Mrs. Stanford White)
Artist: Thomas Wilmer Dewing (American, 1851–1938)
Date: 1887
Culture: American
Medium: Oil on panel
Dimensions: 13 in. × 9 3/4 in. (33 × 24.8 cm)
Framed: 27 1/2 in. × 24 1/2 in. (69.9 × 62.2 cm)
Credit Line: Marguerite and Frank A. Cosgrove Jr. Fund, 2023
Object Number: 2023.479
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

The Evening Dress, Thomas Wilmer Dewing American, Pastel on brown paper cardboard, American — The Evening Dress
Thomas Wilmer Dewing
before 1926

Presentation Sword and Scabbard of Brigadier General Daniel Davis (1777–1814) of the New York Militia, John Targee American, Steel, gold, silver, American, New York — Presentation Sword and Scabbard of Brigadier General Daniel Davis (1777–1814) of the New York Militia
Silversmith John Targee
ca. 1815–17

Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece), Robert Campin Netherlandish, Oil on oak, Netherlandish — Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece)
Workshop of Robert Campin
ca. 1427–32

The Bruce Child, Cecilia Beaux American, Enamel on porcelain, American — The Bruce Child
Decorator Cecilia Beaux
1880

Tobias and the Angel, Thomas Wilmer Dewing American, Oil on canvas, American — Tobias and the Angel
Thomas Wilmer Dewing
1887

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.