Commissioned Portraits

Of the sixty portraits in this exhibition, only five feature individuals who could tell us about sitting for their portrait. These commissioned likenesses, of Evelyn Nef, Ina Ginsburg, Sally Quinn, William Haseltine and Judith Martin date from 1974 to 2008. They reveal a variety of approaches to portraying an individual and giving the viewer a sense of both the appearance and personality of the subject.

With the exception of the portrait of Judith Martin, which was painted in Venice, all were done by artists living in New York. Two make use of the horizontal format, which is relatively rare in portraiture, but each does so to incorporate additional pictorial elements that enhance the portrait.

Both Ginsburg and Haseltine, whose portraits are illustrated below, were friends with the artist who made their portrait.

Continue to Collected Portraits