At the River's Bend (On the River II)

Lilla Cabot Perry anchored this sensitive figure study, modeled by her daughter Edith, in a sun-dappled view of the Epte River in France. Staccato brushstrokes of bright pigments capture the scintillating effects of the surrounding landscape. Perry was one of the first American artists to embrace Impressionism. She studied in Boston and then Paris, where in 1889 she encountered the work of Claude Monet, leading to a friendship with him and numerous summer stays near his home in Giverny. She painted this canvas there in 1895, showcasing her experimentation with form, technique, and color. Garnering an international reputation as an artist, Perry was also an early advocate of modern art in her native Boston.