During the early twentieth century, Paris was the destination of choice for talented and independent American women who were determined to move beyond the limitations that restricted them at home. As foreigners in a cosmopolitan city, they escaped the societal expectations and constraints of both the United States and France. Many used their newfound liberty as an opportunity for self-reinvention and discovery.
See “Brilliant Exiles” exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery until February 23, 2025 .
For more information, visit npg.si.edu.