Dorothy Rice

Interview with Jonell Lennon

Dorothy Rice was a multifaceted artist—painter, sculptor, model, and actress—who catapulted to stardom after becoming the face of Dior’s legendary "New Look" in the late 1940s. Her career as a model flourished as she worked with top fashion photographers for years. Like Eve Babitz, Dorothy moved within legendary social circles, counting friends and art collectors such as Gore Vidal, Ray Bradbury, and Barbara Walters among her acquaintances.

Rice's artistic journey was prolific and varied. In 1975, she held her first solo exhibition, Serenata Mexicana, at the renowned Southwest Museum. Over the years, she explored oil painting, watercolor, silk screens, and sculpture, capturing the cultural essence of international locales and her beloved Los Angeles. Dorothy Rice passed away last year at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy of hundreds of rediscovered artworks. Today her close friend Jonell Lennon (writer and producer of Pretty Little Liars) answers our questions.

Dorothy Rice was invited to join the Art Students League at the young age of 14. Can you share more about Dorothy’s early experiences and how they shaped her career? 

Dorothy came from a long line of successful artists. Generations prior, her father’s family were painters and sculptures in the French royal court. Dorothy’s father was a successful commercial artist in Manhattan, and he tutored Dorothy when she was a young child. By age 13, she demonstrated exceptional talent and her father employed her in his studio to do illustration work. At home he was warm and fun, while at the studio he was a demanding perfectionist who taught Dorothy what it meant to work hard and run a business. Within a year she was taking classes at the Arts Students League where her classmates included future fashion designer Anne Klein, realist painter Philip Pearlstein and illustrator John Hyde Phillips, all of whom had a tremendous influence on her.

Dorothy rose to widespread acclaim as the face of Christian Dior’s “New Look” collection. She also appeared in over 100 plays and starred in several television shows, including Fear on Trial. How did her experiences in modeling and acting contribute to her artistic perspective and creativity?

Dorothy approached modeling with an artist’s eye. She studied every aspect of the profession and collaborated with many highly regarded photographers, including Milton Greene, and Francesco Scavullo. She found that through constant experimentation she could adapt her look to meet changing tastes, which kept her in demand for an astonishing 18 years.  As Dorothy transitioned back to painting, she applied the same process: she constantly studied and trained, she adapted to new techniques – from oil painting with a brush to painting with a palette knife to watercolors – as well as experimenting with sculptures, silkscreens and mixed media.  Dorothy viewed acting, modeling and painting as art forms and believed that what she learned from one field informed the others.  

Dorothy’s work has been exhibited in galleries, embassies and museums worldwide. Her work was also held in private collections. How did she find herself in such prestigious circles?

Dorothy pursued a life in art with a relentless, single-minded determination and loved surrounding herself with colleagues who were equally passionate about their own pursuits, whether they were models, artists, writers, directors or musicians. She understood that creating exceptional art was not enough, and that she also needed to hustle, be a savvy businesswoman, and promote herself and her work.  Her efforts eventually led to her first solo exhibition, Serenata Mexicana, at the prestigious Southwest Museum in Los Angeles.  After the success of the show, Dorothy’s reputation as a serious artist grew and over time, celebrities and notable collectors were introduced to her work.

How did you first meet Dorothy? 

I had just graduated from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. Dorothy was looking for someone to help her write her memoir. Despite the age difference, we hit it off instantly. We were both from New York and had similar sensibilities. While she was in her early eighties, she seemed like a much younger woman. Even then Dorothy was still ambitious, smart, beautiful and glamorous.  I admired her immediately. 

Do you have any personal anecdotes or stories about Dorothy that highlight her personality and character?

When Dorothy was in her twenties, she knew she wanted a life in art and an equal partner to pursue that life with.  She met Stanley Chase (producer of Threepenny Opera, Colossus the Forbin Project and Fear on Trial) when she was 29 and still a model, while he was 26 and living with his parents in Brooklyn.  His producing career was just starting to take off.  Stanley valued her intellect and talent as well as her beauty. Dorothy said marrying him was the best decision she ever made. They had a shared vision and supported each other in their artistic pursuits, which wasn’t typical of the time.  

What do you believe Dorothy would want future generations to take away from her body of work and her life story?

Dorothy would want women to be inspired by the breadth, excellence and creativity of her body of work, and be motivated by the independence she displayed during her life.  A few years before she passed Dorothy wrote, “The ability to make my own choices was paramount to me, the very cornerstone of my existence, and I could never give that up.”  

Cover photo Dorothy Rice Barbizon Hotel Drugstore, 1945, courtesy Dorothy Rice Art Company