John White Alexander

The Blue Bowl was shown in Paris and Vienna before appearing at RISD’s Autumn Exhibition of 1904. Alexander’s sophisticated style was unique in America, presenting feminine subjects in flattened and asymmetric spaces.

More than the Delft bowl of the title, the true focus of the painting is the back of the model’s dress. Executed with thin washes of color on roughly textured canvas, its sinuous curves and floral-patterned folds illustrate the height of Art Nouveau costume and pictorial design. The painting’s decorative theme and compositional daring are further enhanced by the rhythmic floral reliefs on its custom frame.