1875-1943. An important member of the circle of artists who painted in the French art colony of Giverny, Miller is known for vibrantly patterned works that span impressionist and post-impressionist styles. The St. Louis-born painter lived in France for many years after arriving in Paris in 1899, returning to America just before the outbreak of World War I. Unlike the earlier generation of Giverny painters, Miller rarely painted landscapes, but preferred to focus on female subjects, either nude or clothed, often deep in thought. He frequently used brilliantly colorful gardens as a backdrop, and also set his subjects in boudoirs, on porches, or in interiors with sunlight streaming through slatted blinds.

Miller, also a teacher and muralist, painted Parisian street scenes as well as dazzling views of California gardens, completed while he was living in Pasadena. He purchased a house in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in 1917, helping to establish the art colony there. Known for his generous use of pigment, the artist created vividly patterned, highly decorative surfaces, contrasting smaller dashes of paint with large areas of color. He favored the use of green and purple tonalities, and employed strong diagonals in his compositions, lending a sense of vibrancy to otherwise quiet scenes.