Lot Essay
Trained at the Saint Louis School of Fine Arts in the mid 1890s, Richard E. Miller continued his studies at the Acadmie Julian in Paris. In 1906, Miller began spending his summers in Giverny with other American artists, such as Louis Ritman and Frederick Frieseke. It was here that Miller began to incorporate the vibrant hues of French Impressionism. Capturing the momentary effects of the French sunlight on his female sitters, Miller said, "Art's mission is not literary, the telling of a story, but decorative, the conveying of a pleasant optical sensation" (A Bright Oasis: The Paintings of Richard E. Miller, Marie Louise Kane, The Jordan-Volpe Gallery, New York, 1997, pg. 39). Seated Nude marks a transitional moment in Miller's style. A traditional subject, the depiction of the woman is suggestive of Miller's academic training and study. However, the background exhibits the dramatic color and bold brushwork that would come to characterize his later paintings.