Mrs. Walter Rathbone Bacon (Virginia Purdy, died 1919), 1897
Anders Leonard Zorn (Swedish, 1860–1920)
Oil on canvas; 67 1/4 x 42 1/2 in. (170.8 x 108 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Walter Rathbone Bacon, in memory of her husband, 1917 (17.204)
Technical Glossary
Anders Leonard Zorn (Swedish, 1860–1920)
Oil on canvas; 67 1/4 x 42 1/2 in. (170.8 x 108 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Walter Rathbone Bacon, in memory of her husband, 1917 (17.204)
As a portraitist, Zorn acquired an international clientele that included prominent Americans—from socialites to financiers and presidents. He painted this portrait in 1897 during his second visit to America. His sitter, the wife of the president of B & O Southwestern Railroad, is rendered with broad, fluid brushwork—a nod to Impressionism—that suggests a spontaneous moment. According to the sitter's husband, both Sargent and Whistler admired this portrait when it was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1897.
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