After the Reception 1887
douglasvolk
minneapolisinstituteofart
oil-on-canvas
gouache
character portrait
possibly oil pastel
oil painting
underpainting
pastel chalk drawing
united-states
painting painterly
watercolour illustration
person holding a poster
oil-on-canvas
watercolor
Douglas Volk’s “After the Reception” (1887) portrays a bride in a contemplative moment after her wedding reception. The woman’s dress is intricately rendered, showcasing the artist's skill in capturing fabric textures and light. The soft, ethereal veil adds to the romantic mood. The composition, with the figure seated in a simple chair, creates an intimate setting, drawing the viewer in to share this quiet moment. Volk's realistic style, often used in portraiture, is on full display in this timeless image of a newlywed.
Comments
The celebration over, the weary bride rests on a settee, one satin glove dropped on the floor. Caroline Thompson is the bride; the artist, Douglas Volk, was a friend of her parents. At one sitting for this painting, Volk adjusted the neck of the gown to reveal more of Caroline’s shoulder. As the young woman blushed, her mother remarked, “Now, my dear, Mr. Volk is an artist and he only thinks of you as he would a vase of flowers.” Mrs. Thompson’s esteem for Volk was warranted. He had trained in Italy and France, and in 1886 he became the first director of the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts, now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Conservation of this picture was made possible by a generous contribution from Al and Dena Naylor through the Art Champions program.
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