One of the leading progressives in post-World War I Los Angeles, Rich settled in southern California in 1914 after a career in Boston and New York. Although he was skilled in the style of impressionism popularized by his teacher, Edmund Tarbell, within a few years his work had evolved beyond this training. The figure in Mme Yup See is fully realized within a traditional approach to modeling and draftsmanship, yet Rich’s postimpressionist handling dominates the picture. The background flickers with long horizontal streaks of pink, ultramarine blue, and yellow, sparkling hues that echo the deeper colors of Mme See’s attire.
The See family has a unique history in the Los Angeles area. Fong See, the patriarch, came to this country as a poor immigrant but became one of the richest and most prominent Chinese in the United States. The antique stores owned by his family numbered among their clients, the architects Charles and Henry Greene, the art dealer Grace Nicholson, and eventually the young motion picture companies, which bought Asian wares as props. Yup See’s place within the family has not been determined; however, it seems that Rich intended his painting as a tribute to the Chinese-American community. He placed this beautiful woman among objects of the kind the Sees would have sold. Mme See wears a Qing Dynasty silk robe with an embroidered design based on the nine-dragon motif that was the prerogative of the Chinese royal family and court.
The simple frame, with its decoration limited to the corners, was designed and carved by the artist.
