Charles Frederic Ulrich
Charles Frederic Ulrich was born in New York in 1858. The son of a German artist, he received early training before enrolling at the National Academy of Design. In 1875 he continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Ulrich remained in Germany for several years, where he was influenced by artistic techniques he saw. After returning to the United States, he developed a positive reputation as an artist, and his small-scale genre scenes were well received.
What are your creative outlets?
This small picture features various domestic details which would have interested art collectors during the Gilded Age. Ulrich’s closely observed image of a woman practicing the piano is painted with a pure and lustrous color, capturing the specific qualities of the room in which she sits. A close look at the vase and roses on the table reveal that this woman has decided to sit down and play music in the middle of arranging flowers—she has taken a break from one artistic activity to engage in another.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd