Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 1 works by Juliet Thompson in our catalogue
In short
Juliet Thompson's best-known piece is Head of a Young Girl. You'll find it at the The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.. We have 1 works by Juliet Thompson in our catalogue; this guide picks out the 1 best known, with the year, the museum and the story of each piece.
The artwork presents a profile view of a young girl's head, positioned against a background of soft, garden-like tones. The subject's dark hair is rendered with a focus on texture and light, framing a face characterized by pale skin tones. The composition emphasizes the delicate features of the girl, utilizing a palette that includes pastel colors and subtle light. The brushwork is soft, creating edges that blend into the surrounding…
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Juliet Thompson | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Phillips Collection |
Washington, D.C. | 1 | Head of a Young Girl |
Top of the list is Head of a Young Girl.
We have 1 works by Juliet Thompson in our catalogue.
You'll find most of them in The Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.
Born near Washington, D.C., on September 23, 1873, Juliet Thompson faced the sudden loss of her father at age twelve. This early hardship did not stifle her talent; instead, she began selling paintings to assist her widowed mother, Celeste. Her formal training took shape at the Corcoran School of Art and the Art Students League of DC, providing a foundation for a career that would eventually span both American and European soil. By the time she reached Paris around 1899, she was already an active participant in the art circles of her home city.
Her time in France brought rigorous instruction at the Academie Julian under Jean Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant. It was during these years that her technical focus sharpened toward the delicate medium of pastel portraiture. She moved to New York around 1902, establishing a studio in Greenwich Village near the home of Kahlil Gibran. Her presence in the city was marked by a steady professional output, ranging from centerpieces for the Cosmos Club annual show to portraits of notable figures such as Grace Coolidge and various members of the Wilson administration.
Beyond the physical application of pigment, Thompson’s life was shaped by her deep connection to the Baháʼí Faith. After encountering the religion in Washington and later confirming her faith in Paris in 1901, her work and personal writings became intertwined with spiritual themes. She documented much of this experience in her diary, a record that provides a window into her meetings with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá during his travels through Europe and the United States.
One of her most significant artistic undertakings was the life-sized portrait of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. As he sat for her in New York in 1912, he requested that she capture his servitude to God. While the original painting has since been lost, the memory of its creation remains a central part of her history. Her ability to bridge the gap between the sitter and the canvas was evident in her portraits of other notable individuals, including:
Thompson remained a fixture of the New York art community for decades. She contributed to the professional landscape as a member of the Board of Control of The Pastellists, an organization founded in 1910. Her interests extended into social advocacy, where she used her position to support women's suffrage and relief efforts for women and children during the First World War.
In her later years, she traveled to Mexico to share her beliefs, continuing to balance her roles as a painter, writer, and teacher. She passed away on December 4, 1956, at her home in New Rochelle, New York. Her legacy is preserved not only in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum but also in the written accounts of a life lived with profound intention.
