The first illustrated hardcover history of a celebrated American artist of the Gilded Age - includes 90 color and black-and-white illustrations.

At the time of his death, the Pittsburgh-born John White Alexander (1856-1915) was an internationally-recognized portrait painter, on a par with his contemporaries John Singer Sargent and William Merrit Chase. However, the works that have earned him even greater acclaim than his portraits are his figure paintings of femmes fatales, usually richly attired in flowing dresses and striking elaborate poses.

Alexander had been much in demand as a portraitist, both of men and children as well as women, but his real talent, which became evident relatively late in his career, lay in his ability to capture the essence of the female form. This talent blossomed after he encountered Juliette Very, the Parisian model who became his muse. Inspired by Juliette, his paintings are imbued with sentiment expressed through movement and gesture, and it was the portrayal of his models in this way that brought him fame. He also borrowed from the post-impressionist group of painters, the Nabis' use of bold abstract forms and flowing lines, and from James McNeil Whistler's muted coloration, to create his own unique style.

This biography is the first to provide an in-depth account of the artist's varied life, both as an artist and in public service, and a career practiced in a cross-cultural milieu between America and Europe.