The Artist's Daughter

A second-generation American Impressionist, Frederick Carl Frieseke enjoyed an early reputation as a figure painter who, inspired by the figural subjects of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, employed the Impressionist devices of sparkling color and dappled light. Yet many of his compositions, including Le Pouldu Landscape, also express a highly decorative, patterned aesthetic more akin to the works of Nabi artists like Ã?douard Vuillard.

The Artist's Daughter is a relatively late work in Frieseke's career and depicts his only child, Frances, one of his favorite models. She is absorbed in the private act of writing in a secluded interior illuminated subtly by sunlight filtered through blinds. Combining the artist's figural interests with an affectionate family portrait, the painting offers an evocative image of subdued color and quiet charm.