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Peter A. B. Widener
John Singer
Sargent
-- American
painter
1903
Private
collection
Oil on canvas
127 x 101.60 cm (50
x 40
in.)
Jpg: Philip Resheph / local
From: Philip Resheph
philip. re s heph@btinternet.com
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005
[A]
black and white image of Peter A. B. Widener is reproduced in the
Philadelphia Museum of Art's new book (which I have just bought) on
Italian Paintings in the Johnson Collection 1250-1450 on page 2 (fig.
3).
(Editor's Note - I've been able to
find a color image)
It looks a little less formal than the 1902 portrait in Washington.
Peter A.
B.
Widener
1902
Sun, 13 Feb 2005
Incidentally, I looked up the painting in the background to the
portrait; it's now in the
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Johann Liss
The Satyr and the Peasant
c. 1623/1626
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National
Gallery of Art in Washington and called The Satyr and the Peasant, by
Johann Liss.
As the story of
the painting is quite a moralising one, I wonder what the old boy
was up to, having JSS put that in the background! The Philapdelphia's date was
1905. Is that correct? Looking at your year 1905 (and 1904) in
review, JSS seems to have been in London. He must have painted it in
Widener's house, or at least borrowed the painting to hang in his
studio while Widener posed.
From: Natasha
Good sleuthing Philip. It appears the Philadelphia dating is indeed
incorrect. Sargent was in Philadelphia in 1903 to complete a commission
of Silas Weir Mitchell (N/A) who was sitting on the board of
directors of the Mutual Assurance Company. That commission had been
arranged the previous year through correspondence back in London.
Once he was in Philly, additional commissions might have been arranged.
Ormond and Kilmurray, (The Later Portraits, Yale
University, 2003) document letters written by Sargent in May of
1903 which cite his painting Peter A. B. Widener’s daughter-in-law
(Mrs. Josesph E. Widener, N/A) at Peter's massive estate called
Lynnewood Hall which was in Philadelphia. They also group this less
formal painting of Peter having been done at the same time.
Now Sargent had already painted Peter in London the previous year as
you pointed out. So, it seems to me, the pull for more portraits
from the Wideners was to get John to paint the daughter-in-law. I can’t
seem to find any discussion that this second, less formal, portrait of
Peter himself had in anyway been prearranged. It’s my feeling
that this came about somewhat spontaneously -- which sometimes was the
case.
Now, as to what’s up with the Johann Liss’ painting in the background,
let me direct you to the two paintings
in Juxtaposition to answer that. (Go to)
Notes:
Special
thanks to Philip Resheph, of
London, a friend
of the JSS Gallery, for sending me the image of Sargent's
painting.
- See the year in
review 1903
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In Juxtaposition
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Johann Liss
German
(c.
1597-1631)
The Satyr and the Peasant
c. 1623/1626 |
John Singer
Sargent
Peter A. B. Widener
1903
(behind the figure is The Satyr and the Peasant
owned by Peter Widener) |
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