William McGregor Paxton

Paxton, William M.

American, 1869 - 1941

Explore selected works

A young woman with pale skin, dressed in a black and white servant’s uniform, stands reading a book behind a collection of urns, a figurine, and a stationary box arrayed on a tabletop in this vertical painting. Seen from about the hips up, the woman faces our left in profile as she gazes down at the open book in her hands. She has a turned up nose, smooth skin, and her lips are slightly parted over a rounded chin. Her blond hair is pulled up in a bun, and she wears a black dress with a wide, white collar and a white apron tied around her waist. A feather duster with a black handle is tucked under her left arm, closer to us, so the dark feathers fan out behind her. She stands in the corner of a room with light tan walls. Between us and the woman and running parallel to the bottom edge of the canvas, a wooden gaming table inlaid with a black and white checkerboard pattern on its top holds five objects. To our left, the hinged lid of a white rectangular box has been opened to reveal white note cards and envelopes. The inside of the box lid is painted cobalt blue. Next to the box is a white ceramic jar with a rounded body and a flat, dark lid. At the middle of the table and a little closer to us, a brown vase with a tall, inward curving neck sits next to a figurine of a person wearing a blue and pink kimono. Lastly, a white lidded jar painted in blue with a person and a landscape sits to our right. The artist signed and dated the painting in dark, capital letters near the upper left corner: “PAXTON” and “1910.”
William McGregor Paxton, The House Maid, 1910, oil on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund), 2014.136.11

The House Maid

William McGregor Paxton · 1910 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  2014.136.11

This is a drawing of an outdoor urban scene with buildings. The image shows a narrow alleyway between two houses, with a character gathering or transporting laundry, evidenced by clotheslines and hanging garments. Shadows depict a sunny setting, highlighting the textured surfaces of the brick and wooden structures. Cross-hatching adds depth and texture, detailing architectural elements like stairs, windows, and doors. The composition captures a quiet moment in an urban setting.
William McGregor Paxton, Untitled (Scene in Provincetown, Woman with a Bucket), 1920s, etching, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.3851

Untitled (Scene in Provincetown, Woman with a Bucket)

William McGregor Paxton · 1920s · etching ·  Accession ID  2008.115.3851

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