Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Thomas Wilmer Dewing died in 1938; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2008.
In context
A Reading — Thomas Wilmer Dewing
The original measures 51 × 77 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 87 at death.
Painted when the artist was 46. The artist lived to 87. 36 of the 70 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938) ▲ this work, 1897 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1890 Main working years: 1890–1907 Late works: from 1907
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/thomas-wilmer-dewing-a-reading-AQZHCN-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Sap Green #555f4d
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 76.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 115 works by this artist, of which 31 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 13 of them, with 2.2% of that attention. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
About this artwork
A Reading — Thomas Wilmer Dewing
The painting A Reading by Thomas Wilmer Dewing is a beautiful example of American art from the late 19th century. Created in 1897, this oil on canvas piece measures 20 1/4 x 30 1/4 in. and is currently housed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The painting depicts two women sitting at a table, engaged in conversation or reading, surrounded by elegant furnishings and a vase of flowers.
Thomas Wilmer Dewing was an American painter known for his portraits and figurative works. His style is characterized by soft colors, delicate brushstrokes, and a focus on capturing the subtleties of human emotion. In A Reading, Dewing's use of light and shadow creates a sense of intimacy and warmth, drawing the viewer into the quiet moment shared by the two women.
Other paintings that explore similar themes of domesticity and femininity can be found on AllPaintingsStore.com, such as The Things That Are Caesar's by Claude Buck and Illustration: Alice Reading by Lucie Ritter Marcus. These works showcase the talent of American artists in capturing the nuances of everyday life and the beauty of the human experience.
Ernest Clifford Peixotto's Oriskany is another example of American art from the same period, available on AllPaintingsStore.com.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum also features works by other notable American artists, including Ivan Kuzmich Makarov and Claude Buck.
Handmade oil painting reproductions of A Reading and other famous artworks can be found on AllPaintingsStore.com, allowing art lovers to own a piece of history and beauty. For more information on the artist and his works, visit Wikipedia.
The captivating painting A Reading by Thomas Wilmer Dewing is a testament to the beauty of American art and the talent of its artists. Its serene and intimate atmosphere invites viewers to step into the quiet moment shared by the two women, surrounded by elegance and refinement.
Artist and museum
Born in Boston, United States of America
thomas wilmer dewing, an american painter, was born on may 4, 1851, in boston, massachusetts. his artistic journey began with a lithographic apprenticeship, which later led him to the prestigious académie julian in paris, where he studied under gustave boulanger and jules lefebvre starting from 1887.
dewing's artistic style is characterized by his tonalist paintings, a genre deeply rooted in english aestheticism. his preferred subjects were aristocratic women, often depicted in moody, dreamlike surroundings, playing instruments or engaging in introspective activities. woman in black: portrait of maria oakey dewing (1887), a poignant oil on panel, showcases his wife, an accomplished painter with extensive formal art training. *lady in gold* (1912), now at the brooklyn museum, exemplifies his mastery of capturing the essence of his subjects.
dewing was a founding member of the ten american painters in 1898 and taught at the art students league of new york. his association with the society of landscape painters, founded in 1899, further solidified his position within the tonalist movement.
* the freer gallery of art at the smithsonian institution has a dedicated room for dewing's works. * notable collectors include john gellatly and charles lang freer.
view thomas wilmer dewing's collection on AllPaintingsStore
more on thomas dewing at wikipedia
explore the freer gallery of art at the smithsonian institution for more tonalist masterpieces.
dewing's artistic output declined after 1920. he passed away in new york on november 5, 1938, leaving behind a legacy of captivating, ethereal portraits that continue to intrigue art enthusiasts. *key works and collections available for reproduction at AllPaintingsStore: the white dress woman in black: portrait of maria oakey dewing lady in gold discover the world's most famous paintings with AllPaintingsStore's extensive collection
originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/thomas-wilmer-dewing-a-reading-AQZHCN-en/
Look closely
A Reading — Thomas Wilmer Dewing
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
A digital image of "A Reading" by Thomas Wilmer Dewing can be purchased on this page: a high-resolution digital image download.
Other names recorded for Thomas Wilmer Dewing, creator of "A Reading", include Thomas W. Dewing, T. W. Dewing, Thomas Dewing.
The artist behind "A Reading" is Thomas Wilmer Dewing. The work is catalogued under Thomas Wilmer Dewing's name.
"A Reading" measures 51 x 77 cm in its original form. Original dimensions are a useful reference when choosing a reproduction size.
Statistics about "A Reading" by Thomas Wilmer Dewing are on the artwork's Stats page: monthly visits of the artwork, visits of the artist's works, and country and language breakdowns of recent visitors.
The light-dark contrast of "A Reading" is recorded as gentle. Contrast describes how strongly light and dark areas differ.
A print of "A Reading" by Thomas Wilmer Dewing can be ordered directly on this page: a fine art print on cotton canvas or archival canvas paper.
The dominant color of "A Reading" by Thomas Wilmer Dewing is sap green (#555f4d).