The Piano 1891

Thomas Wilmer Dewing’s "The Piano" captures a woman seated at a piano, likely created sometime in the late 19th century. The painting's muted tones and soft brushstrokes are a testament to Dewing’s engagement with tonalism, emphasizing atmosphere and mood over sharp detail. He built up the image through many thin layers of paint. Notice how the hazy background, combined with the way the woman seems to blend into it, make the piano the central element. It becomes more than a musical instrument; it’s a crafted object, a piece of furniture indicative of wealth and status, and perhaps also of the leisure time needed for artistic pursuits. Looking closely, you can see the wood grain and the deliberate carving of the piano’s legs. These material aspects highlight the contrast between the crafted object and the more ethereal representation of the woman. Dewing asks us to consider the social and economic contexts of both art and music, blurring the lines between fine art and the decorative arts.