Spectacular portrait of a man in profile, by Minerva Josephine Chapman, (1858-1947).
The artwork is a drawing on paper, (graphite, and some white pastel), and is remains in the original vintage wooden 1930s frame, behind glass. The artwork measures approximately 16" X 20", plus frame, and is still in very good to excellent condition. The signature is in the lower right. The drawing is estimated to have been created after the artist relocated to Palo Alto, CA between 1925-28.


Minerva Josephine Chapman (1858–1947), an accomplished American painter, gained recognition for her expertise in miniature portraiture, landscapes, and still life.

Early Years:Born on December 6, 1858, in Sand Bank, now Altmar, New York, Minerva, fondly known as Minnie, spent her formative years on Vernon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, alongside her younger siblings. Her parents, Josephine and James L. Chapman, provided a supportive environment for her artistic pursuits.

Education:Chapman's financial independence, courtesy of her father's success as a banker and tannery owner, allowed her to pursue a college and art education. She attended Mount Holyoke College, graduating in 1878, and later studied at the University of Chicago. Subsequently, she engaged in private art studies with notable mentors, including Annie C. Shaw, John Vanderpoel, and Charles Augustus Lasar, embracing Impressionist techniques during her time at Académie Julian in Paris.

Artistic Journey:Chapman's artistic repertoire included portraits, miniatures on ivory and canvas, as well as landscapes and genre paintings. Her career saw her residing primarily in Paris, with intermittent returns to Chicago. Notably, she exhibited at prominent venues, such as the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Elected as a member of the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1906, Chapman became the first female president of the International Art Union in 1914. She weathered World War I in the United States, returned to Paris in 1919, and continued to capture the essence of the independent, educated "New Woman" in her paintings.

Chapman's notable work, "Garden of the Tuileries, Paris," resides in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Her contributions are also showcased in the collections of Mount Holyoke College, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Luxembourg Museum in Paris.

Later Years and Legacy:In 1925, Chapman relocated to Palo Alto, California, where she continued painting until 1932, when deteriorating eyesight compelled her to cease. She passed away on June 14 or 16, 1947, in Palo Alto at the age of 88.

Minerva Josephine Chapman's legacy endures through retrospectives held at Wortsman Rowe Galleries in 1974 and Mount Holyoke College's art museum in 1986. Notably, her miniatures were featured in exhibitions highlighting the accomplishments of "New Women" in the art world, reaffirming her lasting impact on American art.