Photography by Edward C. Robison III
The Midinette
Living and working in Paris for many years, Alfred Maurer often saw midinettes—assistants for the fashion houses—racing around the city to make deliveries. Here, the young woman holds a hat box, as if on her way to a client’s home to drop off merchandise. The top of the hat box and the woman’s face are the two lightest areas of color in an image dominated by shades of brown, black, and gray.
ArtistAlfred H. Maurer, 1868–1932
Dateca. 1902
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions85 1/2 x 51 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.
Signedl.r.: Alfred H. Maurer
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, Gift of Donna and Arthur Hartman, 2010.45
ClassificationPainting
ProvenancePierre Daura [1896-1976], 1925; by descent to Martha Randolph Daura (his daughter), 1976; given to Ambassador Arthur Hartman [b. 1926], Washington, D.C. ca. 2000; given to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2010
On ViewYes
This artwork's face covers about 4.1× the area of a standard movie poster.Drawn to the same scale.