Bathers by Richard E. Miller

Richard E. Miller
1875-1943 | American

Bathers

Oil on canvas on board

Emanating the radiant beauty that defines American Impressionism, Bathers captures Richard Edward Miller at his expressive best. Painted during a period shaped by his time among the celebrated Giverny Colony, the work blends atmospheric color, lyrical brushwork and an instinctive sensitivity to light. Its romantic tone and refined handling highlight Miller’s role as one of the most compelling American painters to absorb and evolve the lessons of French Impressionism.

In this striking composition, Miller bathes his figures in a warm, glowing light that reveals their elegance and ease. Soft contours and textured strokes create a painterly surface that feels immediate and alive. The shimmering palette of the distant water recalls the brilliance of Monet’s Giverny pools, while the intimate poses of the women subtly echo Degas’s iconic bathers. The result is a composition that feels timeless yet intensely personal, animated by Miller’s distinctive touch.

Miller developed his distinctive artistic voice during his time in Paris at the end of the 19th century, where he was immersed in the vibrant artistic circles of the period. Unlike many American artists who merely adopted European styles, Miller cultivated a personal approach to Impressionism that would define his oeuvre. This evolution reached its peak when he settled in Giverny, France—the legendary artist colony where Claude Monet and numerous other luminaries lived and worked.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Richard Edward Miller emerged as one of America's most significant Impressionist painters through his extraordinary sensitivity to light and feminine beauty. After training at Washington University's School of Fine Arts, Miller moved to Paris for nearly fifteen years, where his technical virtuosity earned him acceptance at the prestigious Paris Salon by 1901, and eventually to Giverny, where his mature style fully flourished. Following his return to America during World War I, he taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts before settling in Provincetown, Massachusetts, garnering numerous accolades, including gold medals at the St. Louis Universal Exposition (1904) and Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915). Today, his works grace the permanent collections of prestigious institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Early 20th century

Canvas: 19 1/2" high x 27 1/4" wide (49.53 x 69.22 cm)
Frame: 26 1/2" high x 34 1/4" wide x "1 1/2 deep (67.31 x 87 x 3.81 cm)

Provenance:
Private collection
Sale: Christie's New York, November 30, 1999
Private collection, Nova Scotia
M.S. Rau, New Orleans