Lilian Westcott Hale enjoyed a national reputation for her portraits and domestic scenes, painted in a carefully drawn, politely impressionist style. Like Mary Cassatt and other female artists of her day, Hale devoted much of her attention to the sheltered world of women, especially girls. Alice (Sit-by-the-Fire) offers a moment of introspection, the silence accented by the soft lighting and muted tones of the artist's palette. The artist also bathes the scene in warm nostalgia for a simpler time - note the colonial-period interior, which is actually the artist's studio in Dedham, Massachusetts.
