"Portrait of a Lady" (Mrs. E.R. Johnson) to be auctioned.

[David Spanovich]

FROM: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_s ... _new=51943

Christie's to offer American masterworks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
"...the Museum deaccessioned a total of nine works. Five of them are included in Christie’s November 30 American Paintings sale. The highlight is Portrait of a Lady by William Merritt Chase (estimate: $250,000-350,000), which depicts Mrs. Elsie Reeves Fenimore Johnson, wife of the successful Philadelphia-area inventor and founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company, Eldridge Reeves Johnson. The small dog peeking around the corner of her chair is perhaps a sly reference to the company’s famous advertising mascot: a dog listening to a Victrola. ..."




http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_ ... ID=5509029

Wouldn't this look great hanging above your Victrola?

DS

[Wolfe]

Lovely, except that is the 'second version' that has the Edison Opera she was listening to painted out.

[Brad]

...
Wouldn't this look great hanging above your Victrola?

DS

Wow, Only 4 zero's out of my range, but what a unique piece.

At about 6 feet tall, you would either need a room with a very high ceiling, or a table top machine sitting on the floor

Still, a few thoughts come to mind:

-Should we consider it sad that such a piece of history is being eliminated from a museum?

-Who would be the likely buyer: Someone connecting it the VTM Co. or to the artist?

[Victrolacollector]

A beautiful painting, makes me wonder who would be the end buyer? a collector of VTMC phonos or would it be for the artist? This is where it gets iffy. one of a kind paintings like this might be better off in a museum, but not everyone can travel hundreds of miles anyway. with the advent of the internet its just the same to see it online i guess. its all debatable.

[estott]

It's a fine painting, but unfortunately not one that would draw crowds in a museum: She's on the plain side. I suspect the Philadelphia Museum of Art probably has several works by Chase and this one is seldom on exhibit. She might be better served by going to a smaller museum where she would be more than just another piece in storage.`