When At the summer hotel first appeared in print, it caused a stir not for its subject, but for the way it captured the spirit of a new American leisure class. Charles Dana Gibson’s drawings, widely reproduced in magazines at the turn of the twentieth century, helped define the image of the “Gibson Girl”—an icon of independence and fashion. This work stands out as one of the most recognizable examples, often cited in contemporary reviews as a mirror to the social rituals of the era’s elite resorts. In the scene, a group of elegantly dressed women and men gather in a sunlit hotel parlor, each engaged in the polite choreography of summer society.

The women, poised in flowing dresses, exchange glances and subtle gestures, while the men hover nearby, caught between admiration and awkwardness. The crisp lines and witty details—fans held just so, a stray dog underfoot, the suggestion of a breeze through open windows—capture both the charm and the constraints of these orchestrated encounters. Unlike the more formal gatherings painted by John Singer Sargent, Gibson’s approach is lighter, using pen and ink to highlight the playful undercurrents beneath the surface of high society. The original drawing’s whereabouts remain uncertain, as with many of Gibson’s works, which were often created for publication rather than gallery display.

It likely first appeared in a leading illustrated magazine such as Life or Collier’s, reaching a vast audience and cementing Gibson’s reputation as the chronicler of his age. Today, many of his original drawings are held in private collections or in institutions like the Library of Congress, though At the summer hotel itself is more often encountered as a reproduction. The work marks a high point in Gibson’s career, reflecting both his technical skill and his acute social observation at the height of the Gilded Age.