Chicago was site of the World 's Columbian Exposition in 1893 , a celebration of the discovery of the New World by Columbus . It also marked the city 's recovery from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 . Women had a large presence in the fair and the plum position was the President of the Board of Lady Managers , which Bertha Palmer was selected to lead in 1891 . While the positions were honorary , the women had a great deal of work to do . The board chose Sophia Hayden as architect for The Woman 's Building and designer to supervise the interior decoration . However , when Hayden would n't take Palmer 's advice to accept rich women 's donations of architectural odds and ends to decorate the exterior , fearing a horrible visual impact as a result , Palmer fired Hayden and hired the much more malleable Candace Wheeler to supervise the interior decoration . The Chicago art curator Sarah Tyson Hallowell ( 1846 – 1924 ) worked closely with Palmer on the art exhibits and the murals . Apparently , it was Palmer who chose the theme of " Primitive Woman " and " Modern Woman " for the two murals and Hallowell and Palmer 's first choice for both murals was Elizabeth Jane Gardner ( 1837 – 1922 ) , an experienced academic painter and the paramour of William-Adolphe Bouguereau ( 1825 – 1905 ) . However , the time to paint the two huge murals ( 12 ' x 54 ' ) was short and the artist did not feel that she had the energy to complete the project . Hallowell then recommended the young academic painter Mary Fairchild MacMonnies and the Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt to do the two murals and after their initial rejection of the contracts , the women only had a number of months to complete the murals and have them shipped to Chicago . Led by Palmer , who approached Congress on the matter , the board also requested that the mint produce a new commemorative coin for the Exposition , and their efforts resulted in the Isabella quarter . Following the opening of the Exposition , Palmer sat for the fashionable Swedish painter Anders Zorn ( 1860 – 1920 ) , who was commissioned by the Board of Lady Managers from the fair
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Bertha Palmer