In the Park

1924

Marie Laurencin

Associated Names
Marie Laurencin

Artist, French, 1885 - 1956

This painting depicts three women gathered closely together. The woman on the left appears to kneel on the ground, her face pointed towards us. She has long black hair that is partially tied up, and she wears a pale pink dress. A small white dog sits by her knees, next to another animal that may be a small white bird. Behind her and to the right is a woman who may be sitting or standing, with short gray hair, a pale blue hat with a pink plume, and a white dress with a pale blue sash and mesh sleeves. She is reaching toward the face of the woman on the right, who stands with her body turned and her hand on the central woman's blue hat. This woman on the right has wavy yellow hair and wears a pale yellow dress and a pale pink hat with a black bow and a pink ribbon. The women all have pale white skin with minimalist facial features consisting of simple black eyes and small, rose-colored lips. The background is made of overlapping patches of different shades of cool-toned green, some of which are shaped like leafy branches.
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On View

East Building Ground Level, Gallery E103

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Chester Dale Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 92.1 x 65.4 cm (36 1/4 x 25 3/4 in.)
    framed: 115.6 x 88.6 x 8.8 cm (45 1/2 x 34 7/8 x 3 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1963.10.158

More About this Artwork

This painting depicts three women gathered closely together. The woman on the left appears to kneel on the ground, her face pointed towards us. She has long black hair that is partially tied up, and she wears a pale pink dress. A small white dog sits by her knees, next to another animal that may be a small white bird. Behind her and to the right is a woman who may be sitting or standing, with short gray hair, a pale blue hat with a pink plume, and a white dress with a pale blue sash and mesh sleeves. She is reaching toward the face of the woman on the right, who stands with her body turned and her hand on the central woman's blue hat. This woman on the right has wavy yellow hair and wears a pale yellow dress and a pale pink hat with a black bow and a pink ribbon. The women all have pale white skin with minimalist facial features consisting of simple black eyes and small, rose-colored lips. The background is made of overlapping patches of different shades of cool-toned green, some of which are shaped like leafy branches.

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In this black and white photograph, a woman wearing a black dress leans toward an arched mirror set into a wall, so we see the woman twice in this double portrait. We are situated slightly below her so we look up at the woman, who gazes down and to our right. The surface of the wall is smooth but lightly textured, like adobe. Trees reflected in the mirror indicate that this is outdoors. The woman in front of us takes up the left half of the composition. She faces our right in profile and leans to our right, at the far edge of the mirror. Her dark hair is pulled up in ribbon entwined braids. She wears long, chandelier style earrings and her high-necked black dress has puffed, lace sleeves. We see her face straight on in the mirror’s reflection. The woman’s distinctive brows knit together over her rounded nose.

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Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Paul Rosenberg and Co., London); probably on consignment with (Wildenstein and Co., London, New York and Paris); by whom sold 20 February 1926 to Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York;[1] bequest 1963 to NGA.
[1] Bill of sale in NGA Gallery Archives, Chester and Maud Dale papers, Artist & Dealer FIles, Box 3, folder 13 (copy in NGA curatoria files).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1928

  • Loan Exhibition of Modern French Art from the Chester Dale Collection for the Benefit of the French Hospital of New York, Wildenstein Galleries, 1928, no. 18

1931

  • A Group of Twentieth Century Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, 1931, no. 10

1943

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, Art Institute of Chicago, 1943-1952 (extended loan), unnumbered catalogue, repro. p. 30

1952

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1952, no. 30, repro.

1965

  • The Chester Dale Bequest, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1965, unnumbered checklist.

Bibliography

1929

  • Dale, Maud. Before Manet to Modigliani from the Chester Dale Collection. New York, 1929: no. 89, repro.

1931

  • Pittsburgh Press. 7 May 1931:38, repro.

  • Dale, Maud. "Twentieth Century Paintings." The Carnegie Magazine V, no. 2 (May 1931):35-37, repro. [reprint from foreward to catalogue of 1931 Carnegie exhibition of paintings from the Chester Dale collection.]

1943

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1943:, 30, repro.

1952

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1952 (2nd ed., 1960; rev. ed., 1965): 30, repro.

1960

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1960 (2nd ed.): 32, repro.

1965

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings & Sculpture of the French School in the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965 (rev. ed.): 35, repro.

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 73.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 64, repro.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 188, repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 221, repro.

Inscriptions

lower right: Marie Laurencin / 1924

Wikidata ID

Q20192488

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