Thomas Wilmer Dewing, 1851-1938
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: 4 May 1851
Place of Birth: Newton Lower Falls, MA
Place of Death: New York, NY
Identity:
Thomas Wilmer Dewing was a painter of women in interiors.
Life:
Dewing studied with Jules Lefèbvre and Gustave Boulanger at the Académie Julian in Paris. From this background he went on to develop an art reminiscent of Albert Moore and JW in his focus on tonal studies of elegantly draped women in melancholy, dream-like interiors. He returned to the US in 1878 and from 1881 taught at the Art Students League in New York. In 1898 he became a leading member of the Ten Painters a secessionist group of painters who disagreed with the exhibition policies of organisations such as the Society of American Artists. Notable examples of his work are in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Charles Lang Freer having been the principal patron of both Whistler and Dewing.
Bibliography:
Anderson, Ross C., 'Thomas Wilmer Dewing,' Grove Dictionary of Art Online, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 20 July 2004); American National Biography, New York, 1999; Hobbs, S. and Gallati, B., The Art of Thomas Wilmer Dewing: Beauty Reconfigured, Washington DC, 1996.