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Cecilia Beaux Self-Portrait

Cecilia Beaux Self-Portrait
Artist
Cecilia Beaux, 1 May 1855 - 17 Sep 1942
Sitter
Cecilia Beaux, 1 May 1855 - 17 Sep 1942
Date
c. 1889-94
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 45.4 x 35.2 x 2.5cm (17 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 1")
Frame: 57.2 x 46.7 x 5.4cm (22 1/2 x 18 3/8 x 2 1/8")
Topic
Self-portrait
Cecilia Beaux: Female
Cecilia Beaux: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter
Cecilia Beaux: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.71.34
Exhibition Label
Born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
One of the most admired portraitists of her generation, Cecilia Beaux was heralded by fellow artist William Merritt Chase as “not only the greatest living woman painter, but the best that has ever lived.” Beaux studied art in Paris from 1888 to 1889 and showed her work internationally, but her permanent residence remained in the United States, where she painted friends, family members, and numerous luminaries. In 1895, she became the first woman hired to teach full-time at the renowned Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Among many other accolades, Beaux was among the first U.S. artists invited to contribute a self-portrait to the Uffizi Galleries in Florence (1924), and she received a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1942). She once remarked, “When I attempt anything, I have a passionate determination to overcome every obstacle.” Beaux’s determination and self-confidence come through in this self-portrait.
Nacida en Filadelfia, Pensilvania
Una de las retratistas más admiradas de su generación, Cecilia Beaux fue elogiada por su colega William Merritt Chase como “no solo la mejor mujer pintora viviente, sino la mejor que jamás ha existido”. Beaux estudió arte en París entre 1888 y 1889 y expuso su obra mundialmente, pero siguió teniendo su residencia permanente en EE.UU., donde pintó a amistades, familiares y numerosas celebridades. En 1895 pasó a ser la primera mujer contratada como maestra a tiempo complete en la renombrada Academia de Bellas Artes de Pensilvania.
Entre sus muchos honores, Beaux estuvo entre los primeros artistas estadounidenses invitados a aportar un autorretrato a la Galería Uffizi en Florencia (1924), y recibió un premio a su trayectoria de la Academia Estadounidense de Artes y Letras (1942). Una vez comentó: “Cuando intento hacer algo, me surge un empeño apasionado de superar cualquier obstáculo”. Su determinación y confianza se manifiestan en este autorretrato.
Provenance
(Maury A. Bromsen, Boston); purchased 1971 NPG.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Exhibition
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View
NPG, East Gallery 135