Women & Gardens - American

Richard Edward Miller (American painter, 1875-1943) By the Riverbank 1910

Richard Emil Miller (1875-1943) In the Garden

Richard Emil Miller (1875-1943) Reading in the Garden

Richard Emil Miller (1875-1943) Summer Reverie in the Garden

Richard Emil Miller (1875-1943) The Garden Seat

Richard Emil Miller (1875-1943) Woman Reading in the Garden

Richard Emil Miller (1875-1943) Woman with Parasol in the Garden

Richard Edward or Emil Miller (1875-1943) Reverie in the Garden

Richard Edward Miller (American Painter, 1875–1943): Biography

Richard Edward Miller was an American Impressionist painter born on March 22, 1875, in St. Louis, Missouri, and best known for his paintings of women in richly decorated interiors or bathed in outdoor sunlight. He was part of the Giverny Group, a colony of American painters in Giverny, France, associated with Claude Monet, and a prominent member of the American Impressionist movement. His work is characterized by its vibrant color, intimate domestic scenes, and a focus on capturing light and atmosphere.

Miller studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts, an experience that laid the groundwork for his later development. He moved to Paris in 1898 to attend the Académie Julian, a renowned private art academy where he honed his craft under teachers like Jean-Paul Laurens. Miller became part of the American Art Colony in Giverny, where he developed his signature style. His works are distinguished by their vivid color palette, loose brushwork, and graceful depictions of women, often in peaceful, contemplative poses.

In 1906, Miller exhibited at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français in Paris, marking his international breakthrough. By this time, his style had evolved towards decorative Impressionism, marked by lush patterns, vibrant color contrasts, and intimate settings of women in interiors or gardens.

In 1910, Miller returned to the United States and taught at the Provincetown Art Colony in Massachusetts, which became an important site for American modernist painters. He also taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Miller's time as a teacher influenced a generation of American artists.

His career garnered many honors, including medals at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) in San Francisco. Miller's paintings are held in numerous major public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and others.

 Miller is most noted for his portraits of women in intimate, everyday settings, surrounded by luxurious, colorful fabrics and bathed in soft light. His brushwork is fluid and expressive, akin to the French Impressionist style, but his compositions often exhibit a more structured, decorative quality that aligns him with the decorative arts movement of the early 20th century. His use of bold patterns and strong colors demonstrates a mastery of color harmony and an interest in the effects of natural and artificial light.

Miller passed away on January 23, 1943, in St. Augustine, Florida, leaving behind a legacy as one of the premier American Impressionists of his time.

Bibliography 

Books:

Adams, Henry. American Impressionism and Realism: The Painting of Modern Life, 1885-1915. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994.

Clark, Charles Teaze. Richard E. Miller: An Impression and Appreciation. The Richard E. Miller Memorial Association, 1944.

Gerdts, William H., and Abigail Booth Gerdts. Richard E. Miller: American Impressionist. Spanierman Gallery, 1997.

McConkey, Kenneth. Impressionism in Britain and America. Phaidon Press, 1990.

Spanierman, Ira. American Painting in the Impressionist Era: The Influence of the French School from Barbizon Through Giverny. Spanierman Gallery, 1980.

Articles:

Carbone, Teresa A. "Women and Domestic Spaces in American Impressionism: The Case of Richard Edward Miller." American Art, vol. 18, no. 3, 2004, pp. 30-48.

Fry, Linda L. "Richard E. Miller: American Impressionist." American Art Review, vol. 6, no. 1, 1994, pp. 112-123.

Gerdts, William H. "Richard E. Miller and the American Garden." Garden History, vol. 22, no. 1, 1994, pp. 85-95.

Kilmurray, Elaine, and David Ludley. "Giverny Revisited: The Influence of Claude Monet on American Painters in France." The Burlington Magazine, vol. 125, no. 967, 1983, pp. 347-349.