William H. Lippincott
William H. Lippincott (1849–1920)
En attendant (Waiting), 1880
Watercolor on paper, 10 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.
Signed and dated lower right: Wm. H. Lippincott / Paris 1880
Exhibited: Palais des Champs-Elysees, Paris, May 1882, no. 3541
Provenance: private collection, New York
En attendant depicts a woman sitting on a blanket on the banks of a river. She is stylishly dressed, and is working on her embroidery to pass the time, while a small dog sleeps beside her. The stern of a rowboat or dinghy is visible in the water, indicating that perhaps she is waiting to embark on an afternoon boat ride. Though the details of the landscape are rendered in a sketchy, plein-air style, Lippincott provides detail in the woman’s attire and hat, combining the deep blue of her dress with the orange and red in her scarf and accessories.