Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 21 works by Bernice Cross in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Bernice Cross's most famous painting is Black Pitcher (1944), whose original hangs in the The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.. Melon Vendor (1934) and Sancho Panza (1938) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 21 works by Bernice Cross in our catalog, the gallery presents the 21 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
A young woman sits in a moment of quiet reflection, her features softened by diffused light. The composition centers on her face, framed by the saturated crimson of an umbrella that rises behind her like a sudden bloom of color. Earthy tones of terracotta, ochre, and cream define the palette, creating a warm atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the dark, shadowy blacks of her hat's plumage. The perspective remains at…
In this oil on canvas work titled Melon Vendor, the artist Bernice Cross presents a scene from approximately 1934. The painting captures a specific moment within a cityscape, focusing on a street setting where the architecture appears domestic in nature. It is a composition centered on a figure group, specifically depicting an African American fruit seller engaged in their daily occupation.
The oil on canvas titled Circus People Resting is a work by Bernice Cross. This piece was created ca. 1933-1943. It measures 24 x 177–8in. (61.0 x 45.5 cm.).
Pansies1936 · The Phillips Collection
12
ShowerThe Phillips Collection
13
Land of Cotton1938 · The Phillips Collection
14
Georgetown Corner in the Rain1934 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
15
Strawberry Basket1943 · The Phillips Collection
16
Pink Lemonade1941 · The Phillips Collection
17
The Little Dove's Stove1940 · The Phillips Collection
18
Pansies and Pitcher1948 · The Phillips Collection
19
Winter Light1951 · The Phillips Collection
20
Royal Figure1953 · The Phillips Collection
21
Key Rack1949 · The Phillips Collection
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Bernice Cross | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Phillips Collection |
Washington, D.C. | 18 | Black Pitcher, Sancho Panza, Seaside |
 Smithsonian American Art Museum |
Washington, D.C. | 3 | Melon Vendor, Circus People Resting, Georgetown Corner in the Rain |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this oil on canvas work titled Melon Vendor, the artist Bernice Cross presents a scene from approximately 1934. The painting captures a specific moment within a cityscape, focusing on a street setting where the architecture appears domestic in nature. It is a composition centered on a figure group, specifically depicting an African American fruit seller engaged in their daily occupation.
A young woman sits in a moment of quiet reflection, her features softened by diffused light. The composition centers on her face, framed by the saturated crimson of an umbrella that rises behind her like a sudden bloom of color. Earthy tones of terracotta, ochre, and cream define the palette, creating a warm atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the dark, shadowy blacks of her hat's plumage. The perspective remains at…
Black Pitcher (1944), The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.. Melon Vendor (1934) and Sancho Panza (1938) come next.
32 years old: Black Pitcher dates from 1944, and Bernice Cross was born in 1912.
Black Pitcher, Melon Vendor, Sancho Panza, Seaside, Paul Revere, Li Po, Stute Fish, Stone Angel, Ancestress and Circus People Resting. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 21 works by Bernice Cross, dated from 1934 to 1953.
Mostly in The Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.) and Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1940s: 9 of the 21 works on this page were made then, Black Pitcher among them.
On this page, the earliest is Melon Vendor (1934) and the latest Royal Figure (1953).
Woman (2) and Wood grain (2), across the 21 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 3 of the 21 works on this page.
Black Pitcher, Sancho Panza and Seaside: the The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. holds 18 of the works on this page.
Bernice Cross was an American painter and artist born in Iowa City, United States. Throughout a professional career spanning five decades, she developed a style characterized by a sense of fantasy, humor, and a deceptive simplicity. Her work often balanced realism with abstraction, frequently employing a youthful, whimsical spirit that appeared childlike yet remained sophisticated in its composition and use of color. Her subject matter included genre paintings of circus people, characters from fairy tales, still lifes of flower arrangements, and portraits. In her later years, her portraits often took on a dark, almost monochrome quality, depicting figures within dreamlike, grey environments.
Technically, Cross was an adventurous experimentalist. She explored various surface textures, sometimes leaving parts of the canvas bare or building up layers of pigment with a brush and knife, occasionally adding mica or sand to her works. In one notable instance, she departed from traditional canvas or board to create a painting on velvet. Her ability to organize elements and utilize color contrasts allowed her to create an integrated whole, maintaining a recognizable signature throughout her evolving body of work.
Cross was an active participant in the Washington, D.C. art scene, exhibiting her work in numerous solo and group shows at venues such as the Phillips Gallery, the Corcoran Gallery, and the Whyte Gallery. Her work has been featured in collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Phillips Collection. Beyond her own practice, she was a dedicated art instructor. She taught at several institutions, including the Phillips Art School, the Washington Workshop Art Center, and the YMCA of Washington, D.C., and she also provided instruction at Hood College and American University.
