William Merritt Chase

The model for this painting was Chase’s student Marietta “Pansy” Benedict Cotton, a young New York socialite. Chase’s composition showcases his eclectic techniques, from the fine academic modeling of the sitter’s face and arms to the wide, bravura brushstrokes of her gown. Critics lauded the decorative backdrop and the “artistic quality” of the dress’s translucent pink layers. After exhibiting Lady in Pink at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Chase sold it to Isaac C. Bates of Providence. The following year, it became the first American painting to enter the RISD Museum’s collection.