Portrait of Sadie P. Waters 1888

Francis Davis Millet painted this oil-on-canvas portrait of Sadie P. Waters in the late 19th century. Millet was an academic painter who made his career creating idealized images of women. This painting reflects the values and social norms of the Gilded Age in America. Waters is depicted as a refined, upper-class woman, and her elegant dress and pose emphasize her status. The floral details of her dress and the rose she is holding suggest delicacy, while the high neckline and tightly fitted bodice speak of restraint. The artist’s decision to portray Waters in this way reflects the era's emphasis on respectability and the social expectations placed on women of a certain class. The painting has been interpreted as a commentary on the social constraints placed on women during this time. Further research into Millet's other works and the social history of the Gilded Age could shed more light on the relationship between the artist, his subject, and the broader culture in which they lived.