Albert Pinkham RyderAmerican, 1847–1917Dancing Dryads
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Washington, D.C., United States
RoomLuce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 6B
On public display.
- Checked
- 9 days ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
Many American painters in the nineteenth century painted nature as a classical world of dryads, nymphs, and other imaginary creatures. Albert Pinkham Ryder was inspired by a painting by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot that shows dancing figures in an atmospheric, intimate landscape. In Dancing Dryads, Ryder added many layers of paint and glaze to create a thick, enamel-like surface that emphasized the glowing colors and dreamlike scene. Over time, however, the colors faded and an early restorer actually added the outlines around the figures to prevent them from disappearing into the background. (Broun, Albert Pinkham Ryder, 1989)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1929.6.93
What it shows
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 9 days ago
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
