A light-skinned young woman, likely in her late teens or twenties, is shown in quiet profile by an open window. Her chestnut hair is gathered into a low knot and topped with a russet cap and a soft gray bow as a sheer scarf trails behind her. She wears a deep teal outer dress over a mauve gown, with a frill of white lace at the neckline. With her left hand, she presses a folded note to her chest, while her right hand is held palm-up to feed a white dove perched delicately on her thumb. Golden kernels (some cupped in her palm, others spilled on the stone window sill) almost glow against cool interior light. A thin cord trails from the bird toward the message, suggesting it has just arrived as a courier. On the table below, skeins of crimson and olive thread and a partially finished embroidery show a winged, blindfolded Cupid with bow and arrow, paused mid-stitch. To the left sits a vase of dark red flower blossoms. Beyond a leaded “bull’s-eye” glass window, a calm river recedes toward a pale horizon, bordered by tall, umbrella-crowned pines as ivy climbs the sill, knitting the room to the landscape. British (of Greek descent) artist Marie Stillman (née Spartali; Greek: Μαρία Σπαρτάλη) emerged from London’s Anglo-Greek circle into the later Pre-Raphaelite world, first as a renowned model and then as an artist. In 1906, she called this work “merely a study from a model,” inspired by a bull’s-eye studio window. Still, the scene is carefully coded with the dove as courier (and Venus bird), the rose, the ivy, and the blindfolded Cupid to tell a story of love as devotion, desire, and danger. The story stays unresolved. Has the bird just arrived, or is it being sent away? Is the note tender, troubling, or both? Even the scattered grain could be a welcome, or a tremor after sudden news. Between the intimate room and the cool river landscape beyond the panes, the picture lingers on a moment when a woman receives a message, holds it close, and decides what it will mean.

“Love’s Messenger” by Marie Spartali Stillman (Greek-British) - Watercolor, tempera & gold on paper / 1885 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #WomenInArt #MarieSpartaliStillman #DelawareArtMuseum #PreRaphaelite #artText #Pre-Raphaelite #MarieStillman #WomensArt #WomenArtists #WomenPaintingWomen

A black-and-white lithograph centers on the head and shoulders of a Black girl set against wide, unprinted paper. Her skin is modeled with velvety grays and deep shadows, plus bright highlights on the forehead, nose, and cheekbone that make the face feel carefully lit and 3D. Short, textured hair is gathered upward, leaving one ear visible. She turns to our left, focused as if listening or watching for something beyond the frame. Her expression is quiet, serious, and tired in a way that suggests endurance rather than drama. A pale shirt is loosely drawn at the shoulders, with a few darker strokes and speckled marks suggesting folds and shadow. Over the entire figure lies a rigid grid of barbed wire with horizontal and vertical strands across her face and clothing, with twisted knots and sharp points at the intersections. The wire lines are thin but insistently repeated, so the barrier is a restraint made visible. Made in 1968, the work turns a single portrait into a statement about imposed limits. The girl is presented with dignity and specificity, yet seen through a structure designed to divide. The wire grid is both literal fencing and a compressed symbol for segregation, surveillance, and the everyday boundaries that define where safety, freedom, and possibility are permitted to exist. American artist Ernest Crichlow heightens that meaning through stark color contrasts of black against white as well as soft human shading against hard linear constraint, so our eyes keep moving between the child’s living face and the cold geometry that interrupts it. The title, “Waiting,” lands as a condition as much as a moment. Is she waiting to pass, to be allowed, ot to simply be treated as fully human? And because her gaze stays fixed outward, still, alert, and unresolved, the image holds tension between confinement and persistence, likely asking us to notice not only the barrier, but the person who lives behind it.

“Waiting” by Ernest Crichlow (American) - Lithograph / 1968 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #WomenInArt #ErnestCrichlow #Crichlow #DelawareArtMuseum #Arte #1960s #Lithograph #BlackArt #art #artText #BlueskyArt #PortraitofaGirl #AmericanArt #RacialJusticeArt #AfricanAmericanArtist #AmericanArtist

Made for the 1940 “American Negro Exposition,” this image honors Etta Moten Barnett, a pioneering performer who “broke barriers” in American big-budget movies such as “Flying Down to Rio” and “Gold Diggers” as well as on the concert and theater stage. She became widely celebrated for her work in George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” and later for civic leadership and philanthropy. At the time, mainstream films refused to present Black women with glamour or complexity, but American artist Jay Jackson turns a spotlight into a declaration that Moten is a centered, stylish, and unmissable star. Cameras in the corners asks us to consider how Black brilliance was documented, consumed, and often edited into someone else’s story. It’s a stage scene in watercolor and ink showing the glamorous Black woman dancer with warm brown skin mid-dance under a bright oval spotlight. She leans forward with one arm extended, her torso twisting and her knees flexed in a poised, athletic stance. Her hair is styled in a short, dark bob with a deep teal headpiece. Her lips are painted a vivid red. A pale green, high-waisted skirt swirls around her hips, paired with a matching bra-top and green heels. Behind her, a dark, smoky background is washed in bluish grays and mossy greens, making the spotlight feel theatrical. At the lower left, a sketched cameraman appears as a loose charcoal outline aimed toward her, while at the upper right is a second camera that frames her as both performer and filmed icon. Jackson’s lines alternate between crisp contour and airy washes, letting movement read as vibration rather than blur. Jackson, whose drawings circulated in the Chicago Defender and who later created his own feature syndicate for the “Home Folks” cartoon, uses the visual language of modern media to insist on dignity. In the sweep of green fabric and the dancer’s forward reach, the work presents choreography of agency for a body in motion claiming space, light, and narrative on her own terms.

“Etta Moten Barnett Dancing” by Jay Jackson (American) - Watercolor, ink, and charcoal on paper / c. 1940 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #WomenInArt #JayPaulJackson #DelawareArtMuseum #EttaMoten #EttaMotenBarnett #DanceArt #BlackHistory #art #artText #BlueskyArt #AmericanArtist #AmericanArt

#DelawareArtMuseum 🎻

#cuadrodeldía Dama en el salón exterior (Henry Jarvis Peck 1880–1964) #DelawareArtMuseum Wilmington #art Esta obra del artista estadounidense ilustró la portada de la revista ‘Good Housekeeping’ (julio de 1905), que animaba a disfrutar del hogar relajada, leyendo en la hamaca 🤷‍♀️ #FelizViernes

The subject of this 1859 painting is unknown, but there are several clues to what suggests is a romantic narrative. These include the partially viewed portrait of the male figure on the right, the image of the shipwreck hanging on the wall in the background, and the purple flowers the young woman holds in one hand. A young woman with long dark hair is seated in a dimly lit room. She is dressed in a flowing, off-white, off-the-shoulder gown. Her posture is relaxed, yet her expression appears somewhat aloof. She holds a small letter. The atmosphere is one of quiet intimacy and contemplation. A muted color palette and soft light contribute to the painting's serene, yet somber mood. Egide Charles Gustave, Baron Wappers was a Belgian academic painter best remembered for his work as a teacher and mentor. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and in 1826 in Paris. The Romantic Movement with its new ideas about art and politics was just unfolding in France. Wappers was among the first Belgian artists to take up this style. Wappers was invited to the court at Brussels, where he received several commissions. In 1832, he was appointed Professor of Painting for the City of Antwerp. His subjects included history and religious paintings. He exhibited his masterpiece, “Episode of the September Days of 1830 on the Grand Place of Brussels” at the Antwerp Salon in 1834 and was quickly appointed painter to Leopold, King of the Belgians. In 1839, he was made Director of the Antwerp Academy, where he mentored a number of artists including Ford Madox Brown and Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Louis Philippe commissioned him to paint a large painting for the gallery at Versailles, entitled “The Defense of Rhodes by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem.” He finished the work in 1844, the same year that he received the title of Baron from Belgian king Leopold I. After retiring as Director of the Antwerp Academy, he settled in 1853 in Paris until the end of his life in 1874.

Untitled by Égide Charles Gustave, Baron Wappers aka Gustaaf Wappers (Belgian) - Oil on wood panel / 1859 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #WomenInArt #art #Romanticism #artText #PortraitofaWoman #GustaafWappers #Wappers #DelawareArtMuseum #ÉgideCharlesGustaveWappers #artwork #BlueskyArt #artbsky

A photo of a long, low cloud colored orange by the setting sun.

Cloud at the museum

#delawareartmuseum #clouds #photography #trees

Cover Study, my Jerry Pinkney. Viewed at Delaware Art Museum, 2025.

#delawareartmuseum
#pinkney
#wilmington
#artworld #blackartist

This oil painting by American illustrator and artist Henry Jarvis Peck was the frontispiece for the July 1905 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. The subject, shown enjoying a leisurely summer day, also serves as an advertisement for the magazine. Peck's account book shows that he earned $35 for this illustration — back when the magazine cost 10 cents. Founded in 1885, Good Housekeeping featured both fiction and articles about women's domestic interests. It is one of the few 19th century women’s magazines still in existence. A young light-skinned woman reclines in a hammock, engrossed in reading a magazine. Her posture is relaxed and languid, suggesting ease and comfort that match her calm focused expression. Her short dark hair is styled in a loose, slightly tousled manner. Her clothing is a light, flowing, teal-colored dress, that drapes loosely over her body. It is accented with a thin dark belt and a noticeable turquoise pendant. The hammock is a prominent element, its stripes and woven texture subtly visible. The colors are muted earth tones with hints of orange and brown, creating a contrast with the woman's clothing. Cushions are visible behind her, adding to the sense of comfort and relaxation. The background suggests an outdoor setting, possibly a garden. There are dark, shadowy tones from the foliage, which contrast with sunlight filtering through the leaves. The background is less detailed which keeps our focus on the woman. The overall impression is one of tranquil and peaceful relaxation, capturing a moment of leisure and escape — accentuated by the painting's muted color palette and soft brushwork. Peck was a pupil of the Rhode Island School of Design and then with artist Eric Pape at his school in Annisquam, Massachusetts, for two years. Later, he studied with George L. Noyes, also in Annisquam. In December 1901, Peck went to Wilmington, Delaware to study with Howard Pyle which led to his work creating commercial illustrations.

“In Dame Nature's Parlor” by Henry Jarvis Peck (American) - Oil on canvas / 1905 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #WomenInArt #Hammock #art #WomensArt #Peck #HenryJarvisPeck #DelawareArtMuseum #OilOnCanvas #artwork #frontispiece #reading #AmericanArt #AmericanArtist #GoodHousekeeping #relaxation

“My Theodosia” is the title of American author Anya Seton’s bestselling first novel, originally published in 1941. It is a fictional historical romance of the short life of Theodosia Burr (1783-1813), daughter of Aaron Burr (Thomas Jefferson’s vice president, most famous for his deadly duel with Alexander Hamilton). The story focuses on the life of Theodosia: her marriage to Joseph Alston; her suggested romance with Meriwether Lewis; and ultimately her unwavering devotion to her father … and his devotion to her. Aaron’s arrogance forces “Theo” to choose between the man he insists she marry and her love for a young soldier who will turn out to play a decisive role in her father’s fate. Persuaded by Aaron that she will soon be crowned princess of Mexico as a result of his treasonous plans, she is received like royalty on Blennerhassett Island, only to end up trying to exonerate him as he awaits trial, repudiated by his fickle son-in-law and friends. In the 1970s, Houghton Mifflin republished Seton’s book with a cover featuring this beautiful painting by American artist David J Blossom depicting the young Theodosia, with brilliant red hair, elegantly seated in a blue velvet chair, leaning slightly forward in a formal upright posture with her hands clasped in her lap. She is wearing an elaborate pale green gown that cascades around her featuring short puffed sleeves, a white lace bodice, and a small thin black belt around her waist, accentuating her figure. In the dark behind her, looms a large portrait of her older statesman father. Blossom worked at Young & Rubicam as an art director (for the Ford Motor Company and Pan American Airways accounts) until moving to Weston, CT to became a freelance illustrator. He created Romance or Western-themed book covers (like “My Theodosia”), magazine covers, and movie posters (like Clint Eastwood westerns, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", "A Fistful of Dollars", and "A few Dollars More").

“My Theodosia” by David J Blossom (American) - Acrylic on board / 1976 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #WomenInArt #AaronBurr #ArtText #DavidJBlossom #DavidBlossom #WomensArt #PortraitofaWoman #acrylicpainting #DelawareArtMuseum #artwork #AmericanArtist #art #AmericanArt #acrylic #BookArt #beauty

Wilmington, DE #delawareartmuseum #wilmingtonde #fairecafe #cumulonimbus #may2025

This oil painting by American painter, illustrator, and muralist Gayle Porter Hoskins was used in “Youth's Companion” on December 23, 1926 for "The Gathering Storm" by Margaret Lynn. The serialized 1926 story is focused on Janet, a fearless red-headed teenage daughter of a Kansas settler family. In Hoskin’s illustration, she comes upon the men who stole her horse, Pronto. Well-armed, she matter-of-factly seizes Pronto and begins to walk him home as the rustlers mockingly accuse her of thievery. Unintimidated, Janet offers them food and shelter if they follow her. The men, impressed by her bravery, “cease to be amused” and accept her hospitality. Janet tells her parents that she plans to return to the West after college for a life of “courage and devotion and firmness.” Men do not figure in her plans. A native of Missouri, Margaret Lynn migrated with her parents to the remotest part of the state during her childhood. She became a college English professor and was among the first women to write Western novels. Some critics consider Lynn’s character Janet to be a fictional portrait of herself. Gayle Hoskins was born in Brazil, Indiana to William "Pica" Thompson Hoskins, a sheet-music dealer, and Madge Porter Hoskins in 1887. The family moved to Denver, CO five years later. About 1901, he began publishing cartoons in the Denver Post. Around 1904, he studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and then began working for Marshall Field and Company as a mural designer and published illustrations in Redbook in 1907. Artist Howard Pyle invited Hoskins to study at Pyle's school in Wilmington, Delaware from 1907 until 1910. Hoskins became a nationally known illustrator by 1918 publishing in Harper's Weekly, Good Housekeeping, Liberty, Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, and other publications such as the one in 1926.

“Janet turned her back and walked off and the men laboriously followed” by Gayle Porter Hoskins (American) - Oil on canvas / 1926 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #womeninart #art #oilpainting #GaylePorterHoskins #artwork #DelawareArtMuseum #womensart #AmericanArt #StoryArt #AmericanArtist

“Ribbons” by American artist John Carroll conveys the imagination and sensitivity for which he is known by depicting an emotional beautiful young woman with bright red and blue bow-shaped ribbons in her curly brown hair. Carroll employs a muted color palette, dominated by earth tones of browns and soft greys, which creates a somber atmosphere. The young woman is shown from the chest up, her bare shoulders visible against the understated background. Her expression is serious, almost sad with a thoughtful gaze directed downward and away from us. Her eyes are dark and smoky in shadows; however, her features are soft and slightly ambiguous, with a smooth and idealized rendering of her face. She loosely holds a piece of what seems to be light-colored fabric near her breast and its significance is unclear, adding a layer of mystery. Carroll uses textured brush strokes that are not meticulously smoothed over, but create a sense of depth and movement in the image while the blurred and indistinct brown background draws all attention towards the woman in the foreground. Caroll was born on a train near Kansas City when his family was relocating from West Virginia to California. He studied engineering at the University of California, before moving to Cincinnati to study art. During World War I, he served in the Navy. After the war, he settled in Woodstock, New York, which was fast becoming an artists' colony. In 1925, he was awarded a prize from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts that allowed him to study in Europe for one year. Upon his return to the U.S., he taught at the Art Students League of New York and received a Guggenheim Fellowship. Carroll's evocative landscapes and depictions of dreamy women (like Ribbons) were widely exhibited and collected in the mid-20th century.

Ribbons by John Carroll (American) - Oil on canvas / c. 1945 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #womeninart #art #oilpainting #womensart #portraitofawoman #artwork #DelawareArtMuseum #beauty #JohnCarroll #oiloncanvas #1940s #artoftheday #AmericanArt #AmericanArtist #dreamy #bskyart #oilpainting

This pastel on board artwork by American artist, illustrator, and sculptor Neysa Moran McMein was used for a 1920’s advertisement for Wallace Silver, with an image of a table setting reproduced below this chic woman. In the ad published in The Saturday Evening Post, January 8, 1921, the illustrator, Neysa McMein, was identified below the picture. McMein was famous for her magazine covers featuring beautiful and stylish (but unsmiling) women like this socialite, and the advertiser likely hoped to capitalize on her celebrity to sell their product. In the painting, a graceful unidentified young beauty is turned slightly away from our view, offering a view of her profile and back with her right hand gently holding part of her beaded necklace, creating a focal point. With dark, bobbed hair that is neatly arranged, her expression is somewhat introspective, looking slightly over her shoulder to her left. She has fair skin and is wearing a black, sleeveless gown with a low back and a sheer overlay, giving it a delicate, elegant look. McMein worked as both an illustrator and portrait artist. She was trained at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and at the Art Students League of New York. During WWI, McMein was an entertainer, along with Dorothy Parker, and illustrator for the military and travelled around France, work that awarded her the status of honorary non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. After returning from the war, McMein illustrated articles, covers, and advertisements for magazines such as McClure's, McCall's, The Saturday Evening Post, and Collier's. The character of "Betty Crocker" was also first designed by McMein. She further painted portraits of several presidents, actors, and writers. Life magazine famously published an article on adult party games that featured McMein's popular New York gatherings, often entertaining the Algonquin Round Table, a group of local artist, writers, actors, and critics known for their wit.

The Admirable Hostess by Neysa Moran McMein (American) - Pastel on board / 1921 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #womeninart #art #pastelart #womanartist #femaleartist #womenpaintingwomen #womensart #style #AmericanArt #fashion #NeysaMoranMcMein #1920s #portraitofawoman #pastel #DelawareArtMuseum

Colorful glass sculptures in wavy shapes adorn a modern window display, casting vibrant reflections and showcasing intricate designs.

Colorful glass sculptures resembling seashells are displayed on a modern gallery wall, overlooking a green outdoor space.

#Glass is a medium I can’t imagine myself using. However, colored glass fascinates me on so many levels. (I’ve an entire Pinterest board) #Chihuly at the #DelawareArtMuseum.

This oil painting by American painter, illustrator, and muralist Gayle Porter Hoskins was used in the October 1923 Ladies' Home Journal for "Making a Man of Him," written by Bernice Brown. You can find the story via Google Books on page 271 of the book “Men of Earth.” In a reversal of the common theme of heading West for adventure, this story portrays Aida Sparks, a waitress in a rural restaurant, who sacrifices all she has, including a gold watch, for the man she loves, so that he can escape the harsh Minnesota prairie and travel East. Here she recognizes the beauty of the expansive plains while recalling the bleakness of her life. Aida stands on a path, carrying a wicker basket and a silver milk can, amidst a landscape under a cloudy sky. The path winds through a wide expanse of a rural landscape with varied valleys and hills, leading to the horizon. The young woman with light-toned tan complexion, shoulder-length brown hair wears a light-yellow top, a white skirt, grey stockings, and pointy white shoes. Gayle Hoskins was born in Brazil, Indiana to William "Pica" Thompson Hoskins, a sheet-music dealer, and Madge Porter Hoskins in 1887. The family moved to Denver, CO five years later. About 1901, he began publishing cartoons in the Denver Post. Around 1904, he studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and then began working for Marshall Field and Company as a mural designer and published illustrations in Redbook in 1907. Artist Howard Pyle invited Hoskins to study at Pyle's school in Wilmington, Delaware from 1907 until 1910. Hoskins became a nationally known illustrator by 1918 publishing in Harper's Weekly, Good Housekeeping, Liberty, Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, and other magazines such as the one which published this painting in 1923.

"It's beautiful here tonight," she thought. "No matter where you go, you can't get away from beauty. But, heavens, what a lot I've had to go through to be able to recognize it." by Gayle Porter Hoskins (American) - Oil on canvas / 1923 - Delaware Art Museum #womeninart #art #DelawareArtMuseum #1920s

#FredericJamesShields (1833-1911), who was #BornOnThisDay
The Dead #Rossetti (1828-82)
1882
#DelawareArtMuseum

George Gage’s 1920 oil on canvas painting was used for the cover of "The Door of the Double Dragon", a Romance novel about the China of Yesterday and Today, by Hector Blanding (New York: W.J. Watt and Co., 1920). The art sets the mood for this novel about China -- still an exotic locale for most American readers in 1920. The central character of the story is a young white American woman with reddish hair who goes to China to paint a portrait of the powerful Chinese emperor. Gage combines colorful shades of jade green with giant ornate doors displaying large remarkable gold dragons facing each other. As the woman in white dress, stockings, and shoes opens and walks through the impressive doorway we see a shadowy space beyond our view behind her giving is a hint of the exotic opportunities and mysterious uncertainties of the young female artist's experience in this foreign land. Biographical information about George William Gage is not extensive, but he definitely studied with native Delaware legendary American illustrator and painter Howard Pyle. Gage produced multiple periodical covers including for The Saturday Evening Post and other national magazines. He was also a prolific book illustrator working with publishers like Doubleday, Doran, Morrow Company, H.C. Kinsey, and Farrar & Rinehart. In addition, Gage taught book illustrating at New York's School of Industrial Art. In the later part of his career, he became a skilled portraitist.

Dust Jacket (The Door of the Double Dragon) by George William Gage (American) - Oil on canvas / 1920 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #womeninart #artwork #art #oilpainting #1920s #GeorgeWilliamGage #RomanceNovel #BookCover #AmericanArtist #womensart #DelawareArtMuseum #HectorBlanding #GeorgeGage

#delawareartmuseum labyrinth #wilmingtonde

This oil painting by American illustrator and stage designer George Watson Barratt was used as the cover for Today's Housewife, May 1921, and illustration for "The Peacock Robe," by Louise Rand Bascom in the same issue. It illustrates a serialized story about a beautiful young woman with pale skin and short black hair who receives an elegant long evening cloak decorated with layers of peacock feathers. She poses in profile turning to look at us wearing a fashionable dark dress with sheer lace sleeves and casually holds a yellow bag in her left hand. Framing her head is a gold disc on the wall. Deep turquoise jade green peacock statues sit on either side of her on the mantle. In the story, as she leaves for an evening out, a neighbor warns that peacocks are bad luck, a plot development that lends a mysterious air to the story and its illustration. After studying with Howard Pyle in 1908, Watson Barratt went on to a career in illustration, mural painting, and set design. The dramatic lighting, symmetrical placements, and carefully arranged costume in this scene suggest his theatrical interests.

The Peacock Robe by George Watson Barratt (American) - Oil on canvas / 1921 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) #womeninart #art #oilpainting #GeorgeWatsonBarratt #fineart #DelawareArtMuseum #AmericanArt #womensart #bskyart #romanticism #painting #ArtDeco #portrait #AmericanArtist #fashion #style

The beautiful model, Fidelma Cadmus, was the painter's younger sister (born 1906) … and quite a talented artist herself. She famously married cultural impresario and cofounder of the New York City Ballet Lincoln Kirstein in 1941 with she had an amicable if not stressful relationship until her death in 1991. She is lying supine with her head resting on her right hand. Her expression is calm and peaceful, with closed eyes and a gentle curve to her lips. Her long brown hair cascades around her shoulders, with subtle variations in color and texture evident, suggesting the use of varied strokes and techniques. She wears a mustard-yellow, loose-fitting jacket, its texture rendered with meticulous strokes to mimic fabric folds. The soft focus of her surroundings creates a sense of intimacy and contemplation. She appears here in an inventive draping of her arms and hands over her dark hair which draws our eyes to the network of walnut-colored curls at the bottom of the canvas playing off her outstretched arm. Paul Cadmus is best known for his tempera paintings and drawings of nude male figures plus his controversial multifigure scenes of urban life. Born in New York City in 1904 to artist parents, Cadmus enrolled in classes at the National Academy of Design at age 15. A precocious student, Cadmus won scholarships and prizes and had completed his coursework by 1926. He then began his career in advertising and studied at the Art Students League where he met the painter Jared French, who became his lover. They traveled through France where Cadmus developed a deep and lasting fascination with the Old Masters. In 1934, Cadmus painted “The Fleet's In!” -- a painting of drunken sailors carousing --while working for the WPA. The painting was removed from an exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery, and the scandal helped launch his career.

Fidelma by Paul Cadmus (American) - Tempera and oil on masonite / 1937 - Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington, DE) #womeninart #art #painting #PaulCadmus #fineart #artwork #americanart #cadmus #tempera #DelawareArtMuseum #cadmus #womensart #portrait #portraitofawoman #americanartist #sleeping #sister

An elderly African American woman leans past lace curtains out of window with open pine green wooden shutters in an old building made with work red bricks. She wears a casual off white shirt and has her arms crossed resting on bright yellow and deep orange drapery hanging of the edge of the window frame. Her short greying hair reveals her age as much as the knowing no-nonsense expression of experience on her face. This painting is a departure from the subjects for which Frances Tipton Hunter is best known: puppies and smiling, rosy-cheeked children that appeared in advertisements, picture books, calendars, and covers of the Saturday Evening Post. It is not known if this painting was produced as an illustration. Hunter rose to fame and recognition in the art world as one of the most prominent female illustrators of the 20th century. Her early work captured depictions of children and pets, popular subjects of the 1920s and ’30s. Prior to her first commission for The Saturday Evening Post, for which she is most famous, Hunter’s work lined the covers and pages of periodicals such as Women’s Home Companion, Collier’s, Liberty, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies’ Home Journal. A wide variety of her work was published as advertisements, puzzles, paper dolls, and calendar art.

Woman in a Window by Frances Tipton Hunter (American) - Oil on canvas / Mid 1900s - Delaware Art Musem (Wilmington, DE) #womeninart #womanartist #art #oilpainting #womanpainter #delawareartmuseum #femaleartist #FrancesTiptonHunter #womensart #portraitofawoman #americanartist #fineart #blackwoman

N. C. Wyeth, Neysa McMein, McClellan Barclay all represent this era of print #illustration between WWI and the Depression. All in Jazz Age show at the #DelawareArtMuseum.

Heather Campbell Coyle ( #delawareartmuseum) invited me to write a catalog essay for #jazzageillustration.

#aarondouglas #charlesdawson #loismailloujones #jcleyendecker

Jazz Age--Fabulous, fun, and more complicated than it looks.

Exhibition opened October 5!

The book is available October 29.

Thank you @delartmuseum for noticing the message I left in your Visitor Book! I am still basking in the glow of being surrounded by so much Rossetti… La Ghirlandata is alongside my note. #therossettis #delawareartmuseum

I met Rossetti’s Found at @delartmuseum Unfinished at the time of his death, note the intricate detail on the shawl and dress. The painting is a commentary on the plight of prostitution in London. #therossettis #preraphaelite #delawareartmuseum

Do people travel to Wilmington, Delaware in the dead of Winter to see Pre-Raphaelite Art? People do… @delartmuseum @parrish_relics #delawareartmuseum #therossettis #preraphaelite