Provenance:

The Artist.

By descent to the present owner, Massachusetts.

Exhibited:

Doylestown, Michener Art Museum, "Rae Sloan Bredin: Harmony and Power," March 24 – June 15, 2018.

Literature:

Michener Art Museum, Rae Sloan Bredin: Harmony and Power, exhibition catalogue, Doylestown, 2018, pg. 36, illustrated.

Lot Note:

Girl with White Fan depicts a solitary moment of serenity in delicate hues of white and brown, a softness that is as textural as it is visual, an exquisitely synesthetic gesture typical of Bredin’s Impressionist practice. The fabrics of the fan and dress both bear a silky sheen, while the earthy tones of the bare wall and the fibrous pattern of the wicker chair, with its organic tonal variations, anchor the seated figure in an elemental setting, the quietude in which she rests akin to a fundamental state of being.

Bredin’s gentle staccato brushwork works as visual repetition and echoes the steady breeze of the fan. Far from urgent, it suggests soothing consistency, like a rhythmic balm of tranquility. As the girl’s gaze is drifting out of the composition, she seems immersed in profound distraction, unaware of being observed. In turn, our own gaze, rather than intrusive, is compelled to discretion, let in and allowed to partake in this intimate meditation.