“Stop to see a vivid snapshot of early 20th-century New York social life, where a mysterious gaze and reflective surfaces create a captivating scene in a popular restaurant.”
In this vibrant painting, a woman in a striking red dress fixes her gaze outward, sharing a drink with a man at a bustling New York restaurant. It's Mouquin's, a popular meeting spot for artists and socialites in 1905, and the scene pulses with the energy of urban life. The woman, Jeanne Mouquin (the proprietor's wife), is rendered with vivid brushwork, her intent expression imbuing the moment with a sense of tension and mystery. Behind them, reflections in a large mirror reveal other figures, including the artist's wife, Edith, and an art critic, Charles Fitzgerald, extending the space and adding depth to the composition. This work captures a blend of intimate portraiture and a lively everyday scene, reflecting the dynamic social activities and uncertainties of modern city living at the turn of the century.
- Artist
- William Hook
- Date
- 1905
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 122.4 × 92.1 cm (48 1/8 × 36 1/4 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Friends of American Art Collection
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The intense gaze of Jeanne Mouquin in the red dress.
The reflections of other figures, including a woman in white, in the mirror behind.
The vivid, loose brushwork defining the fabric of Jeanne Mouquin's dress.
The details of the restaurant setting, like the glasses and bottles on the table.
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William Hook
1829William Hook, born in 1829, is associated with works like 'Alice' and 'A City Park' from the late 19th century.
Further Works by Hook
A City Park
1887 · Art Institute of Chicago
Alice
1892 · Art Institute of Chicago
It's a New Age
1992 · Art Institute of Chicago
Women Fighting
1892 · Art Institute of Chicago
Garment Hook
Art Institute of Chicago
Large Hook for a Kettle (Jizaigake)
1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Maine Landscape
1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Fall Meadow (Sample)
1950 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Hook: works from the same years.
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Portrait of Natalia Goncharova
Mikhail Larionov · 1903
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Half-Length Female Nude
Pablo Picasso · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Landscape at L'Estaque
Georges Braque · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Mont Sainte-Victoire
Paul Cézanne · 1904 · Detroit Institute of Arts
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Olive Trees at Collioure
Henri Matisse · 1906 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Consolation
Edvard Munch · 1907 · Munch Museum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Composition with Figures and a Horse
Paul Gauguin · 1902 · Nationalmuseum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Charing Cross Bridge, London
Claude Monet · 1901 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Maude Adams (1872–1953) as Joan of Arc
Alphonse Mucha · 1909 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Birth
Marc Chagall · 1911 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Haystacks, Morning, Eragny
Camille Pissarro · 1899 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art