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Title:Don Bernardo de Iriarte (1735–1814)
Artist:Copy after Goya (Spanish, 1797 or later)
Medium:Oil on canvas
Dimensions:42 1/2 x 33 1/2 in. (108 x 85.1 cm)
Classification:Paintings
Credit Line:Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950
Object Number:50.145.19
Inscription: Inscribed (bottom): Dn. Bernardo Yriarte, Vice-protr. de la Rl. Academia de las / tres nobles Artes, retratado por Goya entestimonio de mu- / tua estimacn. y afecto año de 1797 (Don Bernardo Yriarte, vice protector of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, portrayed by Goya in testimony of mutual esteem and affection, [in] the year 1797)
?Carlos Albois, Valencia; [Tooth, London, until 1911; sold to Colnaghi]; [Colnaghi, London, 1911; sold for £2,244.8/3 to Knoedler]; [Knoedler, New York, 1911–12; sold for $30,000 to Harkness]; Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, New York (1912–his d. 1940); Mrs. Edward S. (Mary Stillman) Harkness, New York (1940–d. 1950)
New York. M. Knoedler & Co. "Loan Exhibition of Paintings by El Greco and Goya," January 1915, no. 17.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Spanish Paintings from El Greco to Goya," February 17–April 1, 1928, no. 24 (lent by Edward S. Harkness).
New York. M. Knoedler & Co. "Loan Exhibition of Paintings by Goya," April 9–21, 1934, no. 7 (lent by Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Harkness).
Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Museum of Art. "Masters of Spanish Painting," April 10–May 10, 1937, no catalogue.
San Francisco. California Palace of the Legion of Honor. "Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings, and Prints by Francisco Goya (1746–1828)," June 5–July 4, 1937, no. 17 (lent by Mr. Edward S. Harkness, New York).
Art Institute of Chicago. "The Art of Goya: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints," January 30–March 2, 1941, no. 50 (lent by Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, New York).
New York. Wildenstein. "A Loan Exhibition of Goya," November 9–December 16, 1950, no. 10.
Hempstead, N. Y. Hofstra College. "Metropolitan Museum Masterpieces," June 26–September 1, 1952, no. 25.
Kunsthalle Basel. "Goya," January 23–April 12, 1953, no. 12.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Goya: Drawings and Prints," May 4–30, 1955, no. 169.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Goya in The Metropolitan Museum of Art," September 12–December 31, 1995, unnumbered cat.
August L. Mayer. Francisco de Goya. Munich, 1923, p. 203, no. 451, pl. 126 [English ed., 1924, p. 168, no. 451, pl. 126], erroneously as from the Groult collection.
Francisco Zapater y Gómez. Colección de cuatrocientas cuarenta y nueve reproducciones de cuadros, dibujos y aguafuertes de Don Francisco de Goya . . . publicadas por Don Francisco Zapater y Gómez en 1860. Madrid, 1924, pl. 107, erroneously as from the Groult collection.
"From El Greco to Goya." American Magazine of Art 19 (April 1928), ill. p. 187.
X. Desparmet Fitz-Gerald. L'oeuvre peint de Goya: Catalogue raisonné. Paris, 1928–50, vol. 2, pp. 93, 316, 329, under no. 375, reproduces and catalogues the portrait in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg, with its correct provenance and bibliography, but erroneously locates it in the Harkness collection; mentions an old copy [the MMA picture] in the collection of Carlos Albois, Valencia, that he saw with Zalzedo [sic for Salcedo], Madrid, in 1914; doubts the authenticity of this copy, and finds its execution and inscription hesitant and awkward; mentions another doubtful, standing portrait of Iriarte in a Madrid collection [Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid].
F.J. Sanchez Cantón. Goya. Paris, 1930, p. 49, notes that Goya's portrait of Iriarte was presented at the Royal Academy of San Fernando on November 1, 1797, where it was praised "not only for its resemblance but also for the talent with which it was painted," but does not specify if this was the MMA or Strasbourg version.
Charles Terrasse. Goya y Lucientes, 1746–1828. Paris, 1931, p. 54, remarks that Goya painted three portraits in 1797, including one of Iriarte.
Helen Comstock. "Loan Exhibition of Goya's Paintings." Connoisseur 93 (May 1934), p. 332, describes it as being "of an almost Gainsborough-like perfection".
Ella S. Siple. "A Goya Exhibition in America." Burlington Magazine 64 (June 1934), pp. 287–88.
Henry Clifford. "Great Spanish Painters: A Timely Show." Art News 35 (April 17, 1937), ill. p. 11, mentions its inclusion in an exhibition at the Pennsylvania Museum of Art [see Exh. Philadelphia 1937].
José Gudiol. Goya. New York, 1941, pp. 73–74.
Harold E. Wethey. "The Goya Exhibition." Art in America 29 (April 1941), p. 99, calls it a superb masterpiece by Goya.
Josep [sic] Gudiol. "The Goya Exhibition at Chicago." Art Bulletin 23 (June 1941), p. 169.
Leonardo Estarico. Francisco de Goya: El hombre y el artista. Buenos Aires, 1942, p. 265, mentions another portrait of this sitter in Madrid.
"Illustrations of Outstanding Harkness Gifts." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 10 (October 1951), ill. p. 65.
F. J. Sanchez Canton. Vida y obras de Goya. Madrid, 1951, pp. 62, 169.
Robert Th. Stoll. Goya. Exh. cat., Kunsthalle Basel. Basel, 1953, p. 56, no. 12, calls it identical with the portrait in Strasbourg but finds the entire painting less alive, noting differences particularly in the execution of the left ear, right hand, badge (erroneously identified as the Order of Maria Luisa [order of Charles III]), and the waistcoat; suggests the inscription may not be Goya's own; observes that our picture was once mounted on a smaller stretcher; erroneously lists the Groult collection in its provenance.
Josephine L. Allen and Elizabeth E. Gardner. A Concise Catalogue of the European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1954, p. 43.
Hans Haug. Letter to Mrs. Gerhard Wedekind. June 28, 1954, observes that when compared alongside the Strasbourg portrait in the 1953 Basel exhibition, the MMA picture appeared to be a weak replica, a bit caricature-like, and even the handwriting seemed hesitant.
Theodore Rousseau Jr. "A Guide to the Picture Galleries." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 12, part 2 (January 1954), pp. 5–6.
Elizabeth du Gué Trapier. Goya: A Study of His Portraits, 1797-99. New York, 1955, pp. 9–10, figs. 9, 10 (overall and detail), remarks that it has the "exquisite finish of French portraits of the period".
Jesús Hernández Perera. "Bibliografía." Archivo español de arte 29 (April–June 1956), p. 141.
Juan Antonio Gaya Nuño. La pintura española fuera de España. Madrid, 1958, p. 165, no. 955, calls it a replica of the Strasbourg portrait; erroneously lists the Groult collection in the provenance.
Martin S. Soria. Letter. May 10, 1959, believes it is a copy by Esteve of the original portrait in Strasbourg.
Xavière Desparmet Fitz-Gerald. Francisco Goya y Lucientes, 1746–1828. Exh. cat., Musée Jacquemart-André. Paris, 1961, p. 37, under no. 49, mentioned as a copy of the Strasbourg portrait.
Goya and His Times. Exh. cat., Royal Academy of Arts. London, 1963, p. 40, under no. 77, call it an equally fine version of the Strasbourg portrait, with "slightly freer lettering for the inscription"; believe the Strasbourg portrait was probably the one presented to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1797.
M. Mesuret inTrésors de la peinture espagnole. Exh. cat., Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Paris, 1963, p. 285, under no. 115, identifies this picture as the one Desparmet Fitz-Gerald [Ref. 1928–50] described in the Albois collection, Valencia, and as having been seen with Salcedo in Madrid, 1914; comments that the 1953 Basel exhibition allowed a direct comparison between the MMA and Strasbourg portraits which confirmed that ours is an old copy; notes that Mayer [Ref. 1923] and others mistakenly added the Groult collection to our picture's provenance.
Elizabeth du Gué Trapier. Goya and His Sitters: A Study of His Style as a Portraitist. New York, 1964, pp. 9, 15, 53, no. 29, figs. 29, 30 (overall and detail), states that it was presented at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1797; confuses its provenance with that of the Strasbourg portrait.
Gaspar Gómez de la Serna. Goya y su España. Madrid, 1969, p. 281, calls it a replica of the Strasbourg portrait.
Pierre Gassier and Juliet Wilson. Vie et oeuvre de Francisco Goya. Ed. François Lachenal. Fribourg, Switzerland, 1970, p. 164, under no. 669 [English ed., 1971], call it a replica or copy of the Strasbourg portrait.
Jeannine Baticle. Goya. Exh. cat., Mauritshuis. The Hague, 1970, unpaginated, under no. 18 [Dutch and French eds., 1970], calls it a replica of the Strasbourg portrait.
José Gudiol. Letter to Everett Fahy. June 12, 1972, believes it is a contemporary copy of the Strasbourg portrait and explains that when he included our picture in his 1941 book [see Refs.], he had not yet seen the one in Strasbourg.
Rita de Angelis. L'opera pittorica completa di Goya. Milan, 1974, p. 109, under no. 316, notes that it is variously considered a replica or copy of the Strasbourg portrait.
Jeannine Baticle inL'art européen à la Cour d'Espagne au XVIIIe siècle. Exh. cat., Galerie des Beaux-Arts. Bordeaux, 1979, p. 78, under no. 27, calls it a replica of the Strasbourg portrait.
José Luis Morales y Marín. Goya: Catálogo de la pintura. Saragossa, 1994, p. 244, under no. 265 [English ed., 1997], calls it a replica or copy of the Strasbourg picture and confuses the provenance histories of the two versions; mentions the portrait in the Lázaro Galdiano collection, Madrid, also attributed to Goya by Mayer [Ref. 1923].
Susan Alyson Stein inGoya in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1995, pp. 45, 57, 62 n. 50, p. 68, figs. 27, 38 (installation views), notes that it was first regarded as a copy of the Strasbourg portrait during the 1953 Goya exhibition in Basel when, in comparison, the MMA picture was seen to have "less verve and fluency"; observes that Goya is not known to have made replicas and the inscription is not in his handwriting.
Nigel Glendinning. "Goya's Portraits: Changing Perspectives on Originals and Copies." Goya in the Museum's Collection: Controversies and Insights. October 20, 1995, regards the inscription as clearly in a copyist's hand; notes differences in the brushwork and the sitter's expression.
Katharine Baetjer. European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Artists Born Before 1865: A Summary Catalogue. New York, 1995, p. 166, ill.
José Manuel Arnaiz. "Nuevas andanzas de Goya: Falsos y auténticos en el Metropolitan." Galería antiquaria no. 136 (February 1996), p. 42, suggests that it may be a contemporary copy by Ascensio Juliá, whose copy of Goya's "Self-Portrait with His Doctor Arrieta" (Minneapolis Institute of Arts) is in a private collection in Madrid.
Jeannine Baticle. "Goya au Metropolitan." Connaissance des arts no. 527 (April 1996), p. 63, calls it a copy after Goya.
Juan J. Luna inGoya: 250 aniversario. Exh. cat.Madrid, 1996, p. 369 under no. 91, mentions it as a copy of the Strasbourg portrait.
Juliet Wilson-Bareau. "Goya in The Metropolitan Museum of Art." Burlington Magazine 138 (February 1996), p. 101, mentions it among copies after Goya.
Jean-Louis Augé inGoya: Un regard libre. Exh. cat., Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille. Paris, 1998, p. 180, under no. 29, calls it one of two copies or replicas of the Strasbourg portrait, the other in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid; notes that the original version was the picture presented at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1797.
Guillaume Kientz inDe Giotto à Goya: Peintures italiennes et espagnoles du musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg. Strasbourg, 2017, p. 275, under no. 150.
The sitter, a personal friend of Goya, was Vice-Protector of the Royal Academy of San Fernando, Madrid and Minister of Agriculture. Iriarte was also an art collector especially interested in portraiture. He wears the badge of the Order of Charles III. The original version of this picture, of which this one is a copy, was formerly in the Groult and Drouais collections, Paris, and is now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg. It was most likely the picture presented to the Royal Academy on November 1, 1797 (see Sánchez Cantón 1930). Another, quite different portrait of Iriarte, also formerly attributed to Goya, is in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid.
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