Skip to main contentProvenanceThe artist
Charles Prendergast, 1924 (brother of the artist)
Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 1948 (wife of Charles Prendergast)
Davis & Long Company, New York, New York, 1977
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Spencer, 1977
Davis & Langdale Company, New York, New York, 1982
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1982
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1992
Exhibition HistoryPublished References
Maurice Brazil Prendergast
(American, 1858–1924)
Red Haired Lady with Hat
c. 1891–1894
Monotype on cream Japanese paper
Image: 11 3/16 x 4 1/2 in. (28.4 x 11.4 cm)
Sheet: 15 3/8 x 11 in. (39.1 x 27.9 cm)
Mat: 22 x 16 in. (55.9 x 40.6 cm)
Sheet: 15 3/8 x 11 in. (39.1 x 27.9 cm)
Mat: 22 x 16 in. (55.9 x 40.6 cm)
Credit LineTerra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection
Object number1992.103
SignedIn plate, in green, to left of lower center: MBP [monogram]
InterpretationRed Haired Lady with Hat (CR 1576) is one of a series of monotypes by Maurice Prendergast that portray a single female figure, attired for the outdoors, against a pristine background. In this example, the woman strides forward, her elaborate walking dress in motion. The prominent red floral decoration on her green wide-brimmed hat complements the young woman's auburn hair. To suggest her face, the artist wiped an oval space above the dress and then used touches of graphite and color to hint at her eyebrows and eyes, upturned nose, and mouth.
Prendergast's love of women's fashion was attributed by his brother to his time spent working in a dry-goods store. Others have suggested the influence of the popular Gibson Girl type created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson in the 1890s. Prendergast, however, used the women's clothing in his images to suggest movement and depth, wiping away ink in a manner that both indicates the texture and mass of heavy cloth and defies gravity. Except for her facial features, the figure appears entirely in motion.
The Terra Collection of Prendergast monotypes includes a group of works that celebrate the fashionably dressed solitary female figure: in addition to Red Haired Lady with Hat, they are The Red Cape (1992.102, CR 1580), Green Dress (TF 1999.114, CR 1574), Lady with Umbrella (TF 1999.115, CR 1572), The Opera Cloak (TF 1992.97, CR 1693), Lady in Pink (TF 1992.89, CR 1741), Lady in Hat and Green Cape (TF 1992.88, CR 1733), Young Woman with Muff (TF 1992.121, CR 1731), and Woman in a Blue Dress with White Boa and Large Red Hat (TF 1992.118, CR 1745). For further information, see Maurice Brazil Prendergast, Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné (1990), to which the CR numbers for the monotypes noted above refer.
Prendergast's love of women's fashion was attributed by his brother to his time spent working in a dry-goods store. Others have suggested the influence of the popular Gibson Girl type created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson in the 1890s. Prendergast, however, used the women's clothing in his images to suggest movement and depth, wiping away ink in a manner that both indicates the texture and mass of heavy cloth and defies gravity. Except for her facial features, the figure appears entirely in motion.
The Terra Collection of Prendergast monotypes includes a group of works that celebrate the fashionably dressed solitary female figure: in addition to Red Haired Lady with Hat, they are The Red Cape (1992.102, CR 1580), Green Dress (TF 1999.114, CR 1574), Lady with Umbrella (TF 1999.115, CR 1572), The Opera Cloak (TF 1992.97, CR 1693), Lady in Pink (TF 1992.89, CR 1741), Lady in Hat and Green Cape (TF 1992.88, CR 1733), Young Woman with Muff (TF 1992.121, CR 1731), and Woman in a Blue Dress with White Boa and Large Red Hat (TF 1992.118, CR 1745). For further information, see Maurice Brazil Prendergast, Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné (1990), to which the CR numbers for the monotypes noted above refer.
Charles Prendergast, 1924 (brother of the artist)
Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 1948 (wife of Charles Prendergast)
Davis & Long Company, New York, New York, 1977
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Spencer, 1977
Davis & Langdale Company, New York, New York, 1982
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1982
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1992
Exhibition History
Maurice Prendergast, Davis & Long Company, New York, New York, May 4–28, 1977.
The Monotypes of Maurice Prendergast: A Loan Exhibition, Davis & Long Company, New York, New York, April 4–28, 1979. [exh. cat.]
Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast from the Terra Museum of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venues: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., January 27–April 14, 1985; Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, April 27–June 30, 1985; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, July 12–September 8, 1985; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts, September 20–November 17, 1985; Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan, November 24, 1985–January 19, 1986; Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January 28–February 24, 1986; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, May 13–June 15, 1986; Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 23–August 24, 1986; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama, September 2–October 26, 1986; The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, November 2–30, 1986; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 13, 1986–February 15, 1987; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida, June 21–July 31, 1987; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio, August 8–September 27, 1987; Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York, October 4–November 5, 1987; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1987–January 7, 1988; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, January 20–March 22, 1988; Carnegie Institute, Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 9–May 29, 1988. [exh. cat.]
Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 11–October 31, 1997.
American Artists and the Paris Experience, 1880–1910, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 22, 1997–March 8, 1998.
Portrait of a Lady : peintures et photographies américaines en France, 1870–1915 (Portrait of a Lady: American Paintings and Photographs in France, 1870–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France (organizers). Venues: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France, April 1–July 14, 2008; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, September 25, 2008–January 5, 2009 (exhibited in Bordeaux). [exh. cat.]
The Monotypes of Maurice Prendergast: A Loan Exhibition, Davis & Long Company, New York, New York, April 4–28, 1979. [exh. cat.]
Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast from the Terra Museum of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venues: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., January 27–April 14, 1985; Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, April 27–June 30, 1985; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, July 12–September 8, 1985; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts, September 20–November 17, 1985; Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan, November 24, 1985–January 19, 1986; Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January 28–February 24, 1986; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, May 13–June 15, 1986; Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 23–August 24, 1986; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama, September 2–October 26, 1986; The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, November 2–30, 1986; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 13, 1986–February 15, 1987; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida, June 21–July 31, 1987; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio, August 8–September 27, 1987; Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York, October 4–November 5, 1987; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1987–January 7, 1988; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, January 20–March 22, 1988; Carnegie Institute, Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 9–May 29, 1988. [exh. cat.]
Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 11–October 31, 1997.
American Artists and the Paris Experience, 1880–1910, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 22, 1997–March 8, 1998.
Portrait of a Lady : peintures et photographies américaines en France, 1870–1915 (Portrait of a Lady: American Paintings and Photographs in France, 1870–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France (organizers). Venues: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France, April 1–July 14, 2008; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, September 25, 2008–January 5, 2009 (exhibited in Bordeaux). [exh. cat.]
Langdale, Cecily. The Monotypes of Maurice Prendergast. (exh. cat., Davis & Long Company). New York: Davis & Long Company, 1979. Text p. 11; ill. no. 8, p. 18 (color), p. 42 (black & white).
Langdale, Cecily. Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast in the Terra Museum of American Art. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Museum of American Art, 1984. Text pp. 12, 27, 28, 32, 37, 58; ill. no. 6, p. 59 (color).
Bonesteel, Michael. "Impressions of Past." Pioneer Press [Evanston, Illinois] (May 30, 1985). Ill.
"Experimentation with Modernism: Museum Exhibit to Display 55 Prendergast Monotypes." [North Adams] Transcript (September 13, 1985): 6. Ill. p. 6.
Spencer, Harold. "On Some Works by Maurice Prendergast." Bulletin [William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut] 13 (1985): 27. Text p. 27.
"Williams College Show." Sunday Republican (September 22, 1985): F: 16. Ill. p. F16.
Heimann, Nora M. "Singular Impressions." Arts [The Magazine for Members of The Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts] 9:12 (December 1986): 20–23. Text p. 22.
"Prendergast Monotypes to be at Whitney Museum." Antiques & the Arts Weekly (February 27, 1987): 13. Text p. 13.
Richard, Paul. "Sweetness and Night: Maurice Prendergast at the National Gallery." The Washington Post (January 25, 1988): C1, C6. Ill. p. C1.
A Profile of the East Building: Ten Years at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, D.C.: Black Star Publishing Company, 1989. Ill. p. 153 (color).
Clark, Carol, Nancy Mowll Mathews and Gwendolyn Owens. Maurice Brazil Prendergast; Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné. Munich, Germany, and Williamstown, Massachusetts: Prestel-Verlag and The President and Trustees of Williams College, 1990. No. 1576, p. 577; ill. no. 1576, p. 577 (black & white).
Reymond, Nathalie. Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Ill. p. 80 (color).
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. An American Point of View: The Daniel J. Terra Collection. Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2002. Ill. p. 138 (black & white).
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Un regard transatlantique. La collection d'art américain de Daniel J. Terra. Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2002. Ill. p. 138 (black & white).
Vanessa Lecomte, editor. Portrait of a Lady : peinture et photographies américains (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny and Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2008. Text (checklist) p. 94.
Langdale, Cecily. Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast in the Terra Museum of American Art. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Museum of American Art, 1984. Text pp. 12, 27, 28, 32, 37, 58; ill. no. 6, p. 59 (color).
Bonesteel, Michael. "Impressions of Past." Pioneer Press [Evanston, Illinois] (May 30, 1985). Ill.
"Experimentation with Modernism: Museum Exhibit to Display 55 Prendergast Monotypes." [North Adams] Transcript (September 13, 1985): 6. Ill. p. 6.
Spencer, Harold. "On Some Works by Maurice Prendergast." Bulletin [William Benton Museum of Art, University of Connecticut] 13 (1985): 27. Text p. 27.
"Williams College Show." Sunday Republican (September 22, 1985): F: 16. Ill. p. F16.
Heimann, Nora M. "Singular Impressions." Arts [The Magazine for Members of The Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts] 9:12 (December 1986): 20–23. Text p. 22.
"Prendergast Monotypes to be at Whitney Museum." Antiques & the Arts Weekly (February 27, 1987): 13. Text p. 13.
Richard, Paul. "Sweetness and Night: Maurice Prendergast at the National Gallery." The Washington Post (January 25, 1988): C1, C6. Ill. p. C1.
A Profile of the East Building: Ten Years at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, D.C.: Black Star Publishing Company, 1989. Ill. p. 153 (color).
Clark, Carol, Nancy Mowll Mathews and Gwendolyn Owens. Maurice Brazil Prendergast; Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné. Munich, Germany, and Williamstown, Massachusetts: Prestel-Verlag and The President and Trustees of Williams College, 1990. No. 1576, p. 577; ill. no. 1576, p. 577 (black & white).
Reymond, Nathalie. Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Ill. p. 80 (color).
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. An American Point of View: The Daniel J. Terra Collection. Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2002. Ill. p. 138 (black & white).
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Un regard transatlantique. La collection d'art américain de Daniel J. Terra. Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2002. Ill. p. 138 (black & white).
Vanessa Lecomte, editor. Portrait of a Lady : peinture et photographies américains (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny and Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2008. Text (checklist) p. 94.