Edmund Charles Tarbell, The Golden Screen

Edmund Tarbell, The Golden Screen, 1898
(Museum Syndicate)
no copyright infringement intended

What tends to push Tarbell to the forefront of the American Impressionists was his eye for slightly unusual and compelling compositions, along with a unique energy or sense of detail that made his paintings distinctive. In a work like The Golden Screen (circa 1898), a young woman sits perched upon a chair holding a parasol. Her pale dress is shaded with hints of violet, and beyond her the room is sunlit amid the promised golden backdrop. Though she may be in her chair posing dutifully at the moment, the girl appears ready to float off with a rustle of skirts out into the brightness of the day. At the same time, however, a darker-toned hat shadows her face and her expression seems a bit wistful or preoccupied, once again heightening the intriguing air of evasive beauty.

(The Subtle Splendor of Edmund C. Tarbell)

(Edmund Charles Tarbell)