Philip Leslie Hale (Massachusetts, 1865-1931), “La Donna” (“Mi Velata”), oil on canvas painting depicting a young woman in white dress with enigmatic expression, looking out from behind a “veil” of black lace curtains. Housed in a handcarved and painted wooden frame. 39_H x 25_W sight, 45_H x 31_W framed. Provenance – the estate of Margaret Wemyss Connor, Nashville, TN; Sotheby’s December 1st, 1998 sale, lot 00172; private collection; Vose Galleries, Boston; the artist (detailed notes available on request). Biography: A member of the Boston School of painters, Philip Leslie Hale’s reputation as an artist was somewhat overshadowed during his lifetime by his teaching and writing. As a young man he studied painting at the Boston Museum School with Edmund Tarbell (who remained an indelible influence), privately with William Merritt Chase, and at the Art Students League in New York with J. Alden Weir. He furthered his art education in Europe, studying in Paris at the Academie Julien and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and visiting the major museums of Europe, where he was said to be influenced by the French Impressionists Sisley and Pissarro and by Vermeer. He lived in Giverny for a time and was acquainted with Claude Monet. After studying abroad for over a decade, he returned to America and was given a one man show. Although he painted a variety of subjects over the years, he is best recognized for his decorative paintings of the female figure and his landscapes. In 1902 he married respected fellow artist Lillian Westcott Hale. Philip Hale went on to build a reputation as an instructor, critic and writer, teaching at the Boston Museum School and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and authoring several books (including a study on Vermeer in 1913). A retrospective of his work at Vose Galleries of Boston in 1966 helped reignite interest in his paintings. Source: Michael David Zellman, “300 Years of American Art,” Vose Galleries, Pierce Galleries. Condition: Relined. Blacklight reveals scattered inpainting, particularly on subject’s facial area including on forehead, under one eye and in crevice of nose, possibly on lips as well.