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- oil on canvas26 1/8 x 28 1/8 in. (66.4 x 71.4 cm.)PROVENANCEVose Galleries, Inc., BostonEXHIBITEDNew York, Grand Central Art Galleries, Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture Contributed by the Founders of the Gallery, Sept.-Oct. 1925 as Lady at Her VanityPittsburgh, Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute, Directions in American Painting 1875-1925, June-Aug. 1982, pp. 52-53, illus. (this exhibition travelled to various locations, 1982-1987)Youngstown, Youngstown State University, The John J. McDonough Museum of Art, Inaugural Exhibition, Oct. 1991-May 1992, p. 16; 28, illus.LITERATUREGrand Central Art Galleries, Yearbook 1925, New York, no. 109, illus.O. Rodriguez Roque, "American Impressionist Paintings in the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. John J. McDonough," Antiques, Nov. 1985, p. 1008, fig. 3, illus.The work of Richard Edward Miller is closely associated with that of his friend and colleague, Frederick Carl Frieseke. In 1898, both artists enrolled in the Academie Julian in Paris. They worked together in Giverny and exhibited together in 1909 at the Venice Biennale. Miller even painted Frieseke's portrait in 1906. And both artists used the female figure as their primary subject matter. Miller successfully depicted women in elegant interiors throughout his career, as this subject allowed him to exhibit his skill in painting a wide variety of textures and objects.Miller, however, had a more gradual conversion to Impressionism than did Frieseke. His was a "selective" Impressionism, for beneath the brilliant color contrasts and broad brushstrokes, his figures are still firmly modeled and well-drawn.The Necklace depicts a young woman seated on a divan, contemplating the necklace around her throat. Her figure is set against a window, creating a background of diffused light, and a garden is suggested by a few skillful strokes of green, red and yellow. The controlled modeling of the young lady's shoulders and arms are in direct contrast to the bravura brushwork in her dress, the cloth covering the vanity and the drapery to the right. Miller is able to combine strong draftsmanship, vivid color and bold design to create a picture which captures both impressionist and modern elements harmoniously. The composition is cropped on the left, creating a sense of intimacy as if the vanity exists in both the picture plane and the viewer's space, drawing the viewer into the painting. The strong parallels of the mirror, window and frames, and drapery are softened by the curves of the woman's shoulders, echoed by the curve of the back of the sofa. The repeated rhythms create an order and harmony that add to the quiet serenity of the scene.