"Iris at Dawn," Maria Oakey Dewing, 1899.
Dewing (1845-1927) was the wife of painter Thomas Wilmer Dewing (who I really like) and an accomplished painter in her own right, mostly of florals but some figures.
She was born into an intellectual New York family, including an architect brother, and studied painting from an early age. including a spell at the Cooper Union, and being a founding member of the Art Students League of New York. Even as a student she was getting good notices and acclaim for her work.
She and her husband were both passionate gardeners and nature enthusiasts, and she believed it was important to study and paint nature. Her floral works were her most famous, and she won awards at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.
She also did still lifes and textile art, occasional painting collaborations with Thomas, wrote a number of books and articles, and later in life moved to portraits and figural work, but expressed dissatisfaction about not reaching her full potential. While she loved her husband very much, she also felt overshadowed by him.
Happy Flower Friday!
From the Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, NH.
#Art #WomenArtists #MariaOakeyDewing #FlowerFriday #Irises