"The Figurine" by William McGregor Paxton – Joy of Museums Virtual Tours

“The Figurine” by William McGregor Paxton

“The Figurine” by William McGregor Paxton depicts a maid carefully cleaning the glass encasing a Chinese porcelain figurine. Next to the glass case is a blue-and-white porcelain pot with gold trim.

The black background wall is in contrast to the two gold-trimmed chairs with pink upholstery and the indication of a picture frame and a fireplace stand at the extreme right.

Paxton’s name is prominently featured in the top left corner. Paxton’s compositions often portray women in beautiful interiors.

The painting was created in Boston, and the objects echo the region’s history of trade with Asia. It also captures the popularity of Asian decorative wares in America in the early twentieth century.

Paxton was an admirer of Johannes Vermeer’s work and similarly gravitated to indoor scenes, typically featuring women engaged in household duties, recalling Dutch painters’ domestic subjects.

The detailed composition and muted palette, the rendered textures and arrangement, and sense of quiet concentration all have parallels in Vermeer’s works of domestic scenes with women.

The light source from the left, highlighting the woman’s complexion and recalls the Dutch master’s use of light in his domestic compositions.

Boston School

The Boston School was a group of Boston-based painters active in the early 1900s. Often classified as American Impressionists, they had their own regional style.

They combined Impressionism with respect for the traditions of Western art history. Their preferred subject matter was portraits, picturesque landscapes, and young women posing in well-appointed interiors.

William McGregor Paxton

William McGregor Paxton (1869 – 1941) was an American painter who embraced the Boston School paradigm and was a co-founder of The Guild of Boston Artists.

Paxton is known for his portraits, including those of two presidents, and interior scenes with women, including his wife.