George Gershwin

George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Composer

Born to immigrant parents of Russian-Jewish descent, George Gershwin assimilated contemporary tastes and national traditions to create both popular music and symphonic works that captured the American imagination. "True music," he once wrote, "must repeat the thoughts and aspirations of the people and the time. My people are American. My time is today."

Between 1924 and 1935, Gershwin collaborated with his lyricist brother Ira on more than a dozen musicals, producing such memorable songs as "Fascinating Rhythm," "Embraceable You," and "I Got Rhythm." He also received critical acclaim with his concert pieces among them Rhapsody in Blue (1924), Concerto in F (1925), and An American in Paris (1928) which transformed jazz into a serious art form. Many view his opera Porgy and Bess (1935) as the culmination of his singular genius. German-born artist Arthur Kaufmann, discharged from his professorship at the Dusseldorf School of Applied Arts in 1933 for being a "non-Aryan," moved to the United States in 1936 the same year he painted his friend Gershwin. As he wrote in his letter of condolence to Ira, "I personally owe much to him, for it was through George's affidavit that I was able to enter this country."

Arthur Kaufmann (1888-1971)
Oil on canvas, 1936
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
NPG.73.8

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