Considered by many to be the finest woman painter active in America at the turn of the century, Cecilia Beaux was not only technically masterful in her rich, vigorous manipulation of paint and her subtle orchestration of color, but also a keen observer and an innovative designer. By 1902, Beaux was recognized as one of the top portrait painters in America.

However, some critics including James M. Keny have observed that her work after 1900 became increasingly more superficial despite her extraordinary technical facility. By the time she had gained virtually universal recognition as one of America's leading portrait painters in the teens and early twenties, Keny observed that much of her early edge of superiority in conve...