Fantasie

Born in Boston, Pearce went on to study in the atelier of Leon Bonnat in Paris, where he became an active figure in American art circles. His connections in the art world led to his serving frequently as a juror of expatriate work for the Academy's annual exhibitions. Pearce showed "Fantasie" at the 1883 annual, where it was declared to be a "killing exhibition picture" and was purchased for the collection. A portrait of a young Japanese feudal lord, or 'daimio,' "Fantasie" was Pearce's most ambitious treatment of oriental themes, which were much in vogue in the late nineteenth century in both Europe and America. Pearce explored this fashionable subject matter only briefly, between 1882 and 1883, perhaps drawing on his experiences as a young man when he worked in his father's Chinese import business. In a playful gender reversal, which is highlighted by the painting's title, Pearce costumed his androgynous model in a woman's kimono, producing an ambiguity that viewers found fascinating.