Provenance

Mr. and Mrs. Lester Francis Avnet

Avnet, Joan and Lester

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The image shows a painting of a man's head and neck in profile facing right. The man has a bald head, a beard, a sharp nose, and a slight indication of an ear. He is wearing a formal shirt with a collar. The background has abstract brushstrokes in brown, green, and blue. There are no visible jewelry or objects in the painting, and the canvas has an unfinished look at the edges, revealing the texture of the canvas.
Pierre Bonnard, Study for a Portrait of Vuillard, c. 1910, oil on wood, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.3

Study for a Portrait of Vuillard

Pierre Bonnard · c. 1910 · oil on wood ·  Accession ID  1995.47.3

The image shows a drawing of a woman's upper body reaching upwards to grasp a branch with leaves. She is leaning forward with her body turned to the side. Her facial features are softly outlined and her hair is styled in a bun. She is wearing a blouse with mid-length sleeves and a sash or belt at her waist. The background is plain with only the branch visible. The drawing is rendered in a single color on a plain background.
Berthe Morisot, Girl Picking Cherries, 1891, red chalk with stumping on light brown paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.62

Girl Picking Cherries

Berthe Morisot · 1891 · red chalk with stumping on light brown paper ·  Accession ID  1995.47.62

The abstracted form of a woman with one hand lifted to the top of her head is cast in bronze in this freestanding sculpture. The woman’s body faces us in this photograph, and light from the right gleams white on the smooth surfaces. The woman’s hips and legs are created with curving forms and creases to suggest ankles, knees, and groin. The woman stands with weight mostly on her left foot, to our right, and that arm ends just below the shoulder. Her other arm drapes over the top of her long hair. There is a curving hole, bean-shaped hole where her face would be framed by long hair. Her feet stand on a narrow, disk-shaped base. The background behind the sculpture lightens from black along the top through blue to white along the bottom.
Alexander Archipenko, Woman Combing Her Hair, model 1915, cast c. 1958, bronze, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1971.66.10

Woman Combing Her Hair

Alexander Archipenko · model 1915, cast c. 1958 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1971.66.10

The image shows a sketch with two figures: a seated woman holding a book, and a standing figure with a walking cane.
Edgar Degas, Study for "Mary Cassatt at the Louvre" [verso], c. 1879, carbon and softground wax transfer on wove paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.36.b

Study for "Mary Cassatt at the Louvre" [verso]

Edgar Degas · c. 1879 · carbon and softground wax transfer on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1995.47.36.b

The image features a sketch of two women on a sheet of paper. The woman on the left is shown standing with her back to the viewer, wearing a long coat and a hat. The woman on the right is seated, facing the left, with curly hair and dressed in a long garment. The sketch is framed by geometric lines, with minimal background, and it is signed "Degas" in red in the lower left corner.
Edgar Degas, Study for "Mary Cassatt at the Louvre" [recto], c. 1879, graphite with blind stylus on wove paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.36.a

Study for "Mary Cassatt at the Louvre" [recto]

Edgar Degas · c. 1879 · graphite with blind stylus on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1995.47.36.a