Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Katherine Gilbert Abbott (1867-1936) studied in New York with H. Siddons Mowbray and William Merritt Chase of New York before continuing her training in Paris with Merson and Delance. Known primarily for her portraits, Abbott was among a select group of women artists invited to represent the United States at the 1900 Exposition Universelle held at the Grand Palais. Her Salon debut had been at the 1894 Salon des artistes francais, when she showed one painting. At the 1895 Salon des artistes francais, when her residence was listed as 4 rue de Chevreuse, Abbott exhibited two paintings, including a portrait of Alice Yandell, sister of sculptor Enid Yandell, with whom Abbott shared a studio at this time. Her last Salon appearance came in 1901, when she showed a painting at that year’s Salon des Beaux Arts. She married Allen Howard Cox, a prominent Boston architect in 1904, and they remained in Boston for the rest of their lives while her husband designed a number of now-historic buildings.