“A Wistful Look”
Happy Friday!
“A Wistful Look” is an oil on canvas laid on board painting by the American artist, James Carroll Beckwith. It is undated.
In this painting, a young woman looks directly at the viewer. Her piercing eyes draw the viewer to her gaze. A green ribbon adorns her hair. The background is done in an impressionist manner, with greens and reds implying an outside garden setting. The painting is closely cropped in scope, with the majority of the canvas being taken up by the head and upper torso of the woman.
James Carroll Beckwith was an American portrait and genre artist who lived from 1852 to 1917. He worked in the naturalism style. He was highly successful in his lifetime, receiving numerous awards and prestigious commissions. Between 1873 and 1878, Beckwith studied in Paris France, under the tutelage of Carolus Duran.
Beckwith was known for his portraits and painted mostly portraits or figure studies, including those of sculptures. His impressionist style of painting quickly led him to be one of the forefront artists of that school in American art. Beckwith was often compared to the other well-known American portrait artist, John Singer Sargent.
There is not much information regarding this piece. If anyone has anything to add or correct, please let me know!
“A Wistful Look” is currently in a private collection, having recently been auctioned.
For more on James Carroll Beckwith, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
