Seated figure with white blouse, William Judson Dickerson

Kansas artist William Dickerson’s body of work included western and Midwestern landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Here he portrays actress and model Vera Miles. Though Miles is best known for her acting work alongside Alfred Hitchcock, she grew up in Pratt, Kansas, and was crowned Miss Kansas in 1948. Interestingly, Dickerson chose not to identify Miles when titling his painting. In the portrait, Miles looks serious and composed, gazing at a point in the distance beyond the viewer.