Like many young artists of her time, Jane Peterson (1876-1965) went on several grand tours of Europe under the auspices of patrons who recognized her early talent, studying under well-known European artists as part of her formal training and broadening her cultural and artistic viewpoint. Quite intrepidly for a woman alone in the early 20th century, Peterson travelled to Egypt and Algiers where she painted many scenes of life in North Africa, and spent six months in Turkey painting street scenes in Constantinople and Broosa. Following her formal education at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in New York, Peterson studied with artists Andre L’Hote and Jacques-Emile Blanche in Paris, Frank Brangwyn in Venice and London, and with Joaquin Sorolla in Madrid. Of all her mentors and teachers, Peterson was most influenced by Sorolla whose use of color and layering of loose brushstrokes would come to represent Peterson’s own style. Her artistic output did not conform to any one style or movement, though the influence of Impressionism, Fauvism, and Art Nouveau can be seen throughout Peterson’s body of work. Around 1910, Peterson became linked stylistically with fellow American artist Maurice Prendergast, with whom she shared a similar interest in subject matter, keen observation and technical skill. The subject matter in Peterson’s work reflects her travels around the world and the influences, both personal and professional, that she encountered. By melding traditional, academic painting technique with the modern art movements she was exposed to during the heady days of early 20th century Paris, Jane Peterson developed an innovative style that is hers alone.

Jane Peterson (1876-1965): Figures Crossing a Bridge, Venice | Oil on canvas, signed ‘Jane Peterson’ lower left. 24 x 18 in., 29 x 23 in. (frame).

During extended periods painting in Europe, Peterson returned often to Venice where the effects of light shimmering on the canals was captured by her expressive brushwork and vivid use of color. An example of Peterson’s deft treatment of light on water and the surrounding reflections can be seen in Figures Crossing a Bridge, Venice, which is included in The Fine Sale on April 24th. Peterson painted many views of Venetian canals and the iconic small bridges that span them. They were, for her, the perfect vehicle to display her skill at observation and the bold palette that became one of the hallmarks of her unique style.  Following her marriage in 1925 to M. Bernard Phillip, a wealthy corporate lawyer, Peterson all but gave up travel to paint at home in the rooftop studio her husband built for her atop their Fifth Avenue townhouse. Her subject matter shifted significantly from scenes and views observed on her travels to floral still lifes that she referred to as ‘flower portraits.’  Recognized during her early career as one of the foremost women artists in America, Peterson’s paintings made before 1925 remain her most sensual and expressive, examples of her ‘love of beauty’, individuality, and her dedication to her life in art.