America / 1882–83
Portrait of Dora Wheeler
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of Dora Wheeler as painting (America · 1882–83).
Chase and Wheeler worked together to raise money for constructing the Statue of Liberty's pedestal.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits William Merritt Chase (American, 1849–1916).
The museum's collection notes: Dora Wheeler became Chase's first student when he returned from overseas study in Munich and set up a teaching studio in New York. At the time, few American artists accepted women as private pupils. After her course of study, Wheeler joined her mother in launching a successful decorating firm, one of the first businesses in the country to be operated entirely by women. For the firm, she designed luxurious textiles, and the embroidered silk tapestry that fills the background in her portrait references her occupational interest. Chase's portrait was awarded a gold medal at an international exhibition of contemporary art in Munich in 1883, and l
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of Dora WheelerOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.