The Red Fan

Like many of his contemporaries, William McGregor Paxton studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. After returning to Boston, he applied his new skills to depictions of the American middle class, producing portraits and idyllic domestic scenes. Paxton was well known for the attention he gave to the effects of light and detail in flesh and fabric. His works often present idealized views of women, such as this portrait of his wife, Elizabeth.