Frieseke was born in Michigan, yet he spent most of his time in France. He studied in more conservative Parisian academies before turning to the progressive Impressionist idiom. Frieseke was the leader of the Giverny Group, which included American Impressionists, who lived in close proximity to Claude Monet. His garden villa at Giverny is the setting for most of his works depicting women at leisure, either seated in gardens or in sun rooms. According to Frieseke’s own statement, he painted directly on the canvas without the aid of preliminary sketches.

Afternoon – Yellow Room is one of two versions of the same subject painted at Giverny in 1910. Like his fellow Impressionists, Frieseke paid attention to the varying effects of light. He distinguished this scene of afternoon light from its morning counterpart in the Cincinnati Art Museum. The colorful patterns of the chair and curtain and the light-infused environment are signature elements of Frieseke’s work.

Kilmer, Nicholas, David Sellin, Barbara H. Weinberg, and Virginia M. Mecklenberg. Frederick Carl Frieseke: The Evolution of an American Impressionist. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001.