Provenance

Mr. and Mrs. George Abrams

Abrams, George Mr.
Abrams, Maida and George

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A skull, a glass vase of flowers, an hourglass, and two small dishes are arranged on a charcoal-gray ledge against a fawn-brown background in this vertical still life painting. Soap bubbles float around the objects to our right, and several insects alight on the flowers or ledge. At the center of the composition, the dark, parchment-colored skull is missing the lower jaw and front teeth, and the crown is wrapped with a single stalk of wheat. To our right of the skull and tucked in near the hollow of the cheek, a short, glass vase with a bulbous bottom, narrow neck, and slightly flaring lip holds four blush-pink flowers, perhaps roses, along with a white flower and a red one, perhaps carnations. A vine of royal-blue, trumpet-like flowers with pale yellow centers could be morning glories. Three of the pink roses are in full bloom and one, near the hourglass, is in bud form. The red and white carnations rest next to each other on or near the top of the skull. Deep green leaves fill the spaces between the loosely gathered flowers. Next to the vase, to our right, an hourglass has a cedar-red wooden frame, and about half the sand has dropped into the bottom bulb. A shallow dish, perhaps a shell, sits atop the hourglass with a short straw or stick resting against the lip to our right. One glistening soap bubble perches on the far end of the straw. Another small bowl and stick, this set of burnished gold, sits between the vase and skull. One of the blooming roses rests next to the skull, on the front left corner of the ledge. Several delicate soap bubbles rise above the hourglass along the right side of the painting. A golden brown moth with white markings floats above the bubbles, about to land on one of the roses. On the opposite side, a white moth with one black spot on its wing rests on a leaf near another rose. A white moth with black speckled wings clings to the front of the ledge, and a black and dark caterpillar flecked with gold climbs up under it. The artist painted his initials, “JVK,” on the front of the ledge, near a small red beetle. Light falls across the still life from our left, and panes from a window outside our view are reflected in the bubbles and on the glass vase.
Jan van Kessel the Elder, Vanitas Still Life, c. 1665/1670, oil on copper, Gift of Maida and George Abrams, 1995.74.2

Vanitas Still Life

Jan van Kessel the Elder · c. 1665/1670 · oil on copper ·  Accession ID  1995.74.2

This painting shows four individuals gathered together. They all have light skin and are elaborately dressed. On the far left is a woman with golden curls, a gold necklace, and a crown-like headpiece playing a lute. She wears a vibrant red dress with a white bodice and lace on the sleeves and neckline. On top of it is a green shawl with braided straps. On the right is a man with curly hair wearing a large, tan hat adorned with a white-and-blue plume, a tan doublet with blue feathers or fabric down the middle, tan shorts, and white stockings tied with blue ribbons above blue shoes. He plays a large cello. To the right are two people standing with their arms interlaced. The one on the left is a man with a large black hat with a pink feather, wearing a black shirt with a wide white collar, black shorts, and pink stockings. The woman next to him has an orange hat with a yellow feather and wears a blue gown with a stiff white collar, yellow sleeves, and a yellow sash. The bottom of her dress is embellished with gold. The four people are standing outside on a gray-and-white striped floor. Behind them, on the left, are tables set with white cloths and a lavish feast, including a large golden goblet and the top half of a large bird set atop what looks like a pie crust. A boy dressed in tan garments bends down to pick up a plate from one of the tables. Behind the tables are tall trees with green leaves, and on right is a calm body of water. The sky is light blue and full of white clouds.
Dirck Hals, Merry Company on a Terrace, 1625, oil on panel, The Lee and Juliet Folger Fund, 2020.11.1

Merry Company on a Terrace

Dirck Hals · 1625 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  2020.11.1

The image shows a landscape illustration with an elevated perspective. The horizon is high, displaying distant hills and architectural structures. Buildings with columns and towers are on a hill to the left. The foreground features detailed trees with rounded foliage. The drawing is done with fine lines, creating texture. Linear hatching adds depth and shading to suggest the terrain and clouds. The color palette is monochromatic, with grey and sepia tones.
Pieter Cornelisz Kunst, Landscape with the Baptism of Christ, c. 1530, pen and brown ink on laid paper, Gift of Maida and George Abrams, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1991.10.1

Landscape with the Baptism of Christ

Pieter Cornelisz Kunst · c. 1530 · pen and brown ink on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1991.10.1

The head and shoulders of a young, pale-skinned boy fill this oval portrait painting. His shoulders are angled to our right, but he turns his face to look at us out of the corners of his large, dark blue eyes. His round cheeks and nose are slightly flushed, and his full, pink lips are closed over a cleft chin. His wavy brown hair falls to his shoulders and around his high, lace-edged collar. The boy’s brown doublet has small buttons down the front, which falls open over a linen shirt. His sleeves are also slit almost up to the shoulders to reveal linen there, too. Light from high to our left falls across the boy’s face and casts the ocean-green background into shadow.
Jan de Bray, Head of a Young Boy, c. 1650, oil on copper, Gift of Maida and George Abrams, 1995.74.1

Head of a Young Boy

Jan de Bray · c. 1650 · oil on copper ·  Accession ID  1995.74.1