Helen Maria Turner (American/Louisiana, 1858)

Helen Maria Turner (American/Louisiana, 1858-1958) , "Mexican Washwoman", oil on canvas, signed, titled, inscribed and "The National Arts Club, 1935" exhibition label en verso, 16 in. x 14 in., framed . Exh.: "Loan Exhibition of Works of Art owned by Artist Members", The National Arts Club, New York, NY, Apr. 3 - 27, 1935. Note: Working in the impressionist technique under the tutelage of William Merritt Chase, Helen Maria Turner lived and worked in New Orleans, New York City and Cragsmoor, New York. Turner attained significant critical acclaim in the second half of her career. In 1921, she became only the fourth woman (and first artist from Louisiana) elected to full membership in the National Academy of Design. Six years later, Turner served as the only female juror of the Twenty-Fifth International Exhibition, an honor closely followed by a solo exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Turner has been extoled as an “enduring impressionist” whose greatest talent was “her ability to portray ordinary women doing everyday tasks in everyday places.” In the 1930s, the artist vacationed frequently in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and the painting offered here reveals her appreciation for the area's culture, architecture and people. Her depiction of a washwoman at work is in keeping with her love of elevating commonplace tasks and displays her extraordinary talent in brushwork and use of color. Ref.: “Turner, Helen (1858-1958).” The Johnson Collection. www.johnsoncollection.org. Accessed Jan. 2, 2020. Faquin, Jane Ward. Helen M. Turner: The Woman's Point of View. Memphis: Dixon Gallery and Gardens, 2010. Dimensions: