"Ladies on a Hill", (1914) -Charles Courtney Curran-

Charles Courtney Curran (1861-1942) was an American painter known for his Impressionist-style depictions of women in outdoor settings. Born in Kentucky, Curran studied art in Cincinnati and New York City before traveling to Europe to study at the Académie Julian in Paris. He was influenced by the French Impressionists, particularly Claude Monet, and developed a style characterized by loose brushwork and a focus on light and atmosphere. In 1888, Curran returned to the United States and settled in New York, where he became a member of the National Academy of Design and the Society of American Artists. He gained widespread recognition for his paintings of women in gardens and outdoor settings, often depicted in fashionable clothing and engaged in leisure activities such as reading or playing musical instruments. Curran also taught at the Art Students League of New York and the Cooper Union, and he continued to paint and exhibit his work throughout his career. Today, Curran's paintings are held in the collections of many museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.