Sarah Paxton B Dodson (1847-1906)

Sarah Paxton Ball Dodson was an American artist who was recognized as one of the leading American women artists in Paris during the 1880s, and whose artwork was exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.

 Dodson’s artistic interests were broad, from the semi-classic French influence of her earlier works, such as “La Danse”, to the schools of the Italian Renaissance, followed by a period of realistic portraiture, including one of her more famous works, “The Signing of the Declaration of Independence”, painted in 1883.

Her later works blended realism and idealism. Her interests in nature and poetry were reflected in her works. Dodson was recognized as one of the leading American women artists of the late 19th century. Her painting “L’Amour Menetrier”, with a French Rococo influence, has been compared to Bacchus and Ariadne, a painting completed by Titian in 1523.

In the painting “Morning Stars” that she made in 1886, she adopted a poetic style that reflects influences of English Pre-Raphaelites and French symbolism.