The Dawn

The Dawn is based on a preparatory drawing (also in Harvard’s collection) for the decoration of the New York City residence of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Although that composition was abandoned, it must have captivated the artist, for he returned to it almost twenty years later in this painting. Indebted to the work’s initial conception as a mural, the arching, elongated figure of Dawn has a bold, linear quality that can be easily read from across a room, while the creamy peach, purple, and turquoise tonalities are decorative without being overpowering. La Farge’s interest in light effects and color harmonies had already inspired his invention of opalescent — also known as “American” — stained glass, which the artist used in numerous commissions, including the translation of The Dawn into a window for the Brooklyn residence of philanthropist Frank Lusk Babbott in 1903.