Portrait of Violet Oakley

Gallery 208, American Art, second floor

Main Building

Portrait of Violet Oakley

1919

Edith Emerson (American, 1888–1981)

Edith Emerson became Violet Oakley’s studio assistant in 1916, sparking the beginning of their forty-five-year artistic and romantic partnership. First meeting Oakley while a student in her mural painting class at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Emerson described her instructor as "the most stimulating . . . [and] electrifying teacher." This painting—sometimes described as Oakley’s "official" portrait—captures Emerson’s respect and reverence for her companion, who was considered the greatest woman muralist of her time. Although this is a portrait of her lover, Emerson does not sexualize or objectify Oakley’s form. Instead, she depicts a strong and cerebral woman with a confident posture and preoccupied stare.

Gallery 208, American Art, second floor

Object Details

Title:

Portrait of Violet Oakley

Date:

1919

Artist:

Edith Emerson (American, 1888–1981)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

30 1/16 x 20 inches (76.4 x 50.8 cm) Framed: 41 1/2 x 32 x 3 1/2 inches (105.4 x 81.3 x 8.9 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Bequest of Edith Emerson, 1984

Accession Number:

1984-66-1

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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Gallery 208, American Art, second floor

Main Building

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