Nouvart Dzeron, A Daughter of Armenia

A student of painter Ralph Clarkson, Nouvart Dzeron posed for the artist in traditional Armenian dress supplied for the sitting by her grandfather. Clarkson highlighted the rich blue and gold of the garments by positioning Dzeron against an unadorned background with strong lighting reminiscent of Spanish Baroque painter Diego Velázquez and French realist Édouard Manet. Clarkson was part of Chicago’s artistic community, establishing a studio in the city in 1896, active in several local arts organizations, and teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.