Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938) was an American Realistic painter. He received his education at the Academy Julian in Paris. After returning to Boston, he began to paint women dressed in Renaissance dress. In quality, he equaled the Pre-Raphaelite painting group, led by Sir John Everett Milliasem. His work is easily recognizable by the content of his paintings. He captured female aristocratic characters while playing a musical instrument or writing letters. In the viewer, his images evoke a feeling of standing behind glass and watching the undisturbed ladies. An example is the painting titled White Dress. He actively painted until 1920, when he went into seclusion in Hampshire. He died 18 years later in New York. His paintings are highly prized and can be found in major American museums and galleries. However, many of his works are in private collections.