Portrait of Robert Arthur

Born in Philadelphia, Beaux is among America's foremost portraitists. Overcoming many barriers towards women's achievements in the arts, including a lack of access to high-quality instruction and prohibitions against drawing from the nude, Beaux rose to the top of her profession. In 1885, when our "Portrait of Robert Arthur" was painted, Beaux was "receiving commissions from notable Philadelphians and earning $500 per portrait," according to her biographer Alice A. Carter.