Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 129 works by Thomas Dewing in our catalogue
In short
Lady in Gold (1912) is the Thomas Dewing painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn. After it, the eye goes to The Recitation (1891) and The Sorcerer's Slave (The Young Sorcerer), (painting) (1877). Among the 129 works of Thomas Dewing in our catalog, these 100 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
A single woman sits in a quiet, heavy stillness. She is draped in a gown of deep gold, the fabric spilling toward the bottom corner like liquid metal. Her eyes are half-closed, caught in a trancelike state of introspection. She rests against a dark wooden table, a fan held loosely in her hands. The light enters from the upper left, a soft and hazy glow that brushes against the curve…
In the quietude of Thomas Wilmer Dewing’s 1891 masterpiece, The Recitation, viewers are invited into a world where time seems to suspend itself. This quintessential example of Tonalist painting transcends a mere depiction of two women in an outdoor setting; it is a profound exploration of mood and atmosphere. The scene unfolds with a gentle, melancholic grace, presenting a woman dressed in black seated prominently in the foreground, while another…
A woman stands before a wall of weathered brick, her back turned to the viewer. She is naked, a pale silhouette against the textured, earthen tones of the masonry. In her hand, she holds a slender stick or a wand, a small instrument of intent. The light catches the curve of her spine and the stillness of her posture. There is a heavy, quiet tension in the way she faces…
A woman sits in a central position, her legs crossed as she occupies a chair. She is dressed in a red gown that provides a sharp contrast to the dark, green backdrop behind her. Her hands are engaged with a spinning wheel, working with yarn or wool. To the right of the figure, a large spindle rests, its vertical form cutting through the composition. A second, smaller chair is positioned…
In the quietude of 1893, Thomas Wilmer Dewing captured a moment that transcends mere landscape, offering instead a window into a dreamlike realm. Summer, also known as Moonrise, is a quintessential masterpiece of Tonalism, an art movement that sought to evoke emotional resonance through atmosphere rather than rigid realism. The painting presents a scene of profound serenity, where two women are gracefully poised within a lush, grassy meadow. Beneath a…
A Musician, painted by Thomas Dewing in 1877, captures a solitary figure in a moment of quietude. The subject is a female musician, her form settled into a stillness that suggests the weight of a performance concluded. She holds a violin, the wood of the instrument a silent companion to her weary posture. The scene is a study of a woman caught between the music and the silence that follows.
In A Garden, Thomas Dewing presents a scene that invites a sense of classical or mythological escapism. Painted about 1883, the work captures a quiet, dreamlike atmosphere through its subject matter. Two female figures occupy a long, pale stone terrace under a vast, pale sky. To the left, a figure is draped in a heavy, patterned green and gold cloak, seated and looking downward. To the right, a second figure…
The artwork titled Morning, (painting) was created by the American painter Thomas Dewing. This specific composition dates to about 1879. The subject matter consists of two women positioned within the scene, both of whom are dressed in Renaissance gowns.
In this grayscale portrait, we encounter Eleanora A. Iselin, known to many as Mrs. Delancey Kane, captured in a moment of profound stillness. The work, dating from 1888, presents her in formal attire, her figure occupying the center of the frame with a quiet, dignified presence. There is a certain weight to the composition, achieved through the careful layering of charcoal and pastel on paper. The texture is palpable, with…
In Hymen, Thomas Dewing presents a poised female figure emerging from a thicket of lush foliage. Created about 1886, the work centers on this solitary woman, whose presence is defined by a flowing gown. She holds a golden staff, a vertical weight against the soft, organic shapes of the surrounding greenery. The subject matter carries an allegorical weight, likely representing Hymen, the Greek god of marriage.
Classical Figures1898 · Detroit Institute of Arts
12
Music1895 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
13
Lady in White1901 · Saint Louis Art Museum
14
The White Birch, (painting)1899
15
Young Woman with Violoncello, (painting)1905
16
The Lute1903
17
Lady in Gray1910 · Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art
18
Yellow Tulips1908
19
Lady with a Rose1915 · Dayton Art Institute
20
Spring (The Garden)1917 · Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
21
Iris, (painting)1912
22
The Letter1908 · Toledo Museum of Art
23
Lady in Green and Gray1911 · Art Institute of Chicago
24
The Pink Dress1894 · The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
25
Comedia1894 · Philadelphia Museum of Art
26
Spring1890 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
27
Lady in YellowIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
28
Before the Mirror
29
Summer1890 · Yale University Art Gallery
30
Madeline, (painting)1890
31
TheRecitation1891
32
InTheGarden1892
33
TheHermitThrush1890
34
The Letter, (painting)1889
35
Portrait of Frances C. Houston, (painting)1889
36
Lady in Blue, Portrait of Annie Lazarus1890
37
Woman in Black: Portrait of Maria Okey Dewing1887
38
Dawn1892
39
In the Garden1892
40
Portrait of Frances C. Houston1889
41
Summer1890 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
42
The Song1891
43
Summer1893 · Detroit Institute of Arts
44
AReading1897
45
The Carnation, (painting)1893
46
Comedia1895
47
Portrait of a Lady1895 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
48
Portrait of a Lady1895
49
The White Birich1896
50
Young Girl Seated1896 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
51
The Hermit Thrush1893
52
The Musician1905 · Detroit Institute of Arts
53
Portrait of a Girl, (painting)1905
54
Standing Figure, (painting)1900
55
TheLute1904
56
WomaninPurpleandGreen1905 · New Britain Museum of American Art
57
Alma, (painting)1900
58
The Fortune Teller1904 · Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
59
La Jaseur1907 · Minneapolis Institute of Art
60
The Spinet1902
61
Lady Standing, (painting)
62
Woman Seated at Table, (painting)
63
Tobias and the AngelMetropolitan Museum of Art
64
Girl Reading, (painting)
65
The Piano
66
The Days
67
Comedia, (painting)
68
Lady in Green and Gray
69
Antoinette
70
The LetterMetropolitan Museum of Art
71
Reclining Nude Figure of a Girl
72
DawnSmithsonian American Art Museum
73
Gloria
74
Lady with a Mask1911 · National Gallery of Art
75
Portrait of Ella Emmet
76
Standing Nude Figure of a Girl
77
Lady in White 1
78
Walt Whitman
79
Black and Gold, (painting)1910
80
Portrait of Mariette Benedict Cotton
81
Portrait of Frances C. HoustonSmithsonian American Art Museum
82
Woman in a Blue Dress
83
The NecklaceSmithsonian American Art Museum
84
LadyWithALuteLarge
85
The Garland
86
Music
87
Lady in Lavender Dress1910
88
CommerceandAgricultureBringingWealthtoDetroit1906 · Detroit Institute of Arts
89
Lady in White (No. 1)1910
90
AlmaSmithsonian American Art Museum
91
Pandora1910
92
The Necklace1907
93
The Song and the Cello1910
94
Lady in Blue1910
95
The Palm Leaf Fan1906
96
Lady in White (No. 1)1910 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
97
Lady in White (No. 2)1910 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
98
June1920
99
The Dance Twilight, (painting)1922
100
Summer1890
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Thomas Dewing | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Smithsonian American Art Museum |
Washington, D.C. | 14 | Music, Spring, Summer |
 Detroit Institute of Arts |
Detroit | 7 | The Recitation, Summer (also known as Moonrise), Classical Figures |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 4 | Tobias and the Angel, The Letter |
 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art |
Bentonville | 2 | Spring (The Garden), The Fortune Teller |
 Brooklyn Museum |
Brooklyn | 1 | Lady in Gold |
 Museum of Fine Arts |
Boston | 1 | A Garden |
 Cincinnati Art Museum |
Cincinnati | 1 | Hymen |
 Saint Louis Art Museum |
Saint Louis | 1 | Lady in White |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
A woman stands before a wall of weathered brick, her back turned to the viewer. She is naked, a pale silhouette against the textured, earthen tones of the masonry. In her hand, she holds a slender stick or a wand, a small instrument of intent. The light catches the curve of her spine and the stillness of her posture. There is a heavy, quiet tension in the way she faces…
A woman sits in a central position, her legs crossed as she occupies a chair. She is dressed in a red gown that provides a sharp contrast to the dark, green backdrop behind her. Her hands are engaged with a spinning wheel, working with yarn or wool. To the right of the figure, a large spindle rests, its vertical form cutting through the composition. A second, smaller chair is positioned…
In the quietude of Thomas Wilmer Dewing’s 1891 masterpiece, The Recitation, viewers are invited into a world where time seems to suspend itself. This quintessential example of Tonalist painting transcends a mere depiction of two women in an outdoor setting; it is a profound exploration of mood and atmosphere. The scene unfolds with a gentle, melancholic grace, presenting a woman dressed in black seated prominently in the foreground, while another…
Lady in White (No. 2) is an oil on canvas by the American artist Thomas Dewing. Created in the United States, the work is dated circa 1910. This specific iteration of the subject is part of the collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where it is held under accession number 1929.6.30.
A single woman sits in a quiet, heavy stillness. She is draped in a gown of deep gold, the fabric spilling toward the bottom corner like liquid metal. Her eyes are half-closed, caught in a trancelike state of introspection. She rests against a dark wooden table, a fan held loosely in her hands. The light enters from the upper left, a soft and hazy glow that brushes against the curve…
Lady in Gold (1912), Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn. The Recitation (1891) and The Sorcerer's Slave (The Young Sorcerer), (painting) (1877) come next.
61 years old: Lady in Gold dates from 1912, and Thomas Dewing was born in 1851.
Lady in Gold, The Recitation, The Sorcerer's Slave (The Young Sorcerer), (painting), The Spinner, Summer (also known as Moonrise), A Musician, A Garden, Morning, (painting), Mrs. Delancey Kane (Eleanora A. Iselin) (ca. 1851 1938), (painting) and Hymen. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 129 works by Thomas Dewing, dated from 1877 to 1922.
Mostly in Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.), Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit) and Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1890s: 28 of the 100 works on this page were made then, The Recitation among them.
On this page, the earliest is The Sorcerer's Slave (The Young Sorcerer), (painting) (1877) and the latest The Dance Twilight, (painting) (1922).
Woman (18), Women (13) and American art (6), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 15 of the 100 works on this page.
Tonalism, judging by the originals on this page.
Music, Spring and Summer: the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. holds 11 of the works on this page.
