An Appreciation:
​Maria Oakey Dewing

Maria Oakey Dewing by Thomas Dewing

Maria Oakey Dewing was a 19th century American artist. She is chiefly known for her Impressionistic floral paintings.

Born Maria Richards Oakey in New York City on October 27, 1845, Maria came from a prosperous background. Her father was an importer and her mother was a writer and member of a wealthy New England family.


While still a teenager, Maria decided to become an artist. Around 1866, she began studies at the Cooper Union School of Design for Women. This was followed by studies at the National Academy of Design. In 1871, she banded together with other students to become a founding member of the Art Students League of New York.


During this period, she was also studying with artist John LaFarge. Maria was very influenced by LaFarge's ideas and interest in Japanese aesthetics.


In 1871, Maria travel to Europe, studying in France and visiting Italy and England.


Returning to the United States, she exhibited regularly at the National Academy of Design. In 1878, she first exhibited with the Society of American Artists. Maria was viewed as a promising up and coming artist. At the same time, she was writing books and articles, which would eventually cover such topics as etiquette and painting.


In 1880, she met Thomas Dewing, an artist from New England who had recently moved to New York City in order to advance his career. The two were married the next year. Not long thereafter, the couple had a son who died infancy and, in 1885, they had a daughter.


The Dewings moved into the famed Studio Building near Washington Square and became leaders of New York's art scene. Thomas' career flourished. However, Maria's artistic production dwindled. In addition, she shifted from painting portraits and figures to almost exclusively doing florals and still lifes.


No one knows for sure the reason for this change in Maria's career. It has been argued that Maria was intimidated by her husband's fame and artistic abilty. While it is true that Thomas was a recognized artist and an instructor at the Art Students League, Maria was a rising star who had exhibited to critical acclaim. Furthermore, the two artists often worked together with Maria painting the floral background's to Thomas' figures. Clearly, the two saw themselves as in the same league.


A more likely explanation lies in the role women were expected to play in a marriage in the second half of the 19th century. Maintaining a home and raising children were considered the woman's responsibility and so her artistic production may have dwindled simply because she did not have the time to create as much art work as she did prior to her marriage.

Along the same lines, during this period the wife was expected to subordinate her career (if she dared to have one) to that of her husband. Thomas was a figure painter. Rather, than compete with him, Maria turned to florals.


In 1885, the Dewings were instrumental in founding an artist's colony in Cornish, New Hampshire. They were joined there by other established artists and writers who were interested in art and culture. Among other things, the Dewings created a garden, which Maria used as subjects in her paintings.


Maria's florals were well-received. Indeed, at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, she won a bronze medal. She did the same at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. Her one-woman exhibition in 1907 at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art  was also a success.


Towards the end of her career, Maria returned to portrait and figure painting. In a letter, she expressed regret at not having done more in this area. Still, she did not abandon florals, which she saw as related to the abstraction of the emerging Modernist movement.


Maria died in 1927 in New York City. Thomas all but abandoned painting after her death.  

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Above: "Iris at Dawn."

Below: "A Garden in May."

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Above: "The Rose."

Below: "Portrait of Dr. Charles Caroll Lee."   

"A Bed of Poppies."

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Artist appreciation - Maria Oakey Dewing