Provenance

Lewis D. Einstein

Einstein, Lewis David

American, 1877 - 1967

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See all 15 works of art
Twelve men and perhaps a child, who is bald and wears a brown robe, kneel, sit, or prostrate themselves in front of an altar piled with three skulls in this almost square painting. All the men appear to have pale, peachy skin and wear tattered robes with hoods in shades of sky or slate blue, peanut brown, terracotta orange, or silvery gray. The man closest to the altar holds up a long cross so it almost touches the skulls. He kneels and bows deeply so his hood completely hides his face. Three more men are near him in this grouping, and another rests on the broken base of a column as he reaches forward, head bowed. The child and two taller adults stand in the background along the left edge of the composition, and four more men are clustered in the lower right corner. The two to the left in this final group have chains wrapped around their torsos and are barefoot. The leftmost reclines on one hip and looks at the open book he holds. The other two men kneel. Carnation-pink and sapphire-blue robes lie across the two steps where these four people gather. Another book and glimmering objects, perhaps pieces of armor and maybe another skull, are heaped in a pile to the left. Beyond all the people, a mint-green curtain just taller than the standing men hangs across the lower portion of a row of columns in front of pearl-white walls with molding, columns, and an arched doorway. Some brushstrokes are loose, especially in the clothing and background.
Michel-François Dandré-Bardon, The Adoration of the Skulls, c. 1733/1734, oil on canvas, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1956.3.1

The Adoration of the Skulls

Michel-François Dandré-Bardon · c. 1733/1734 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1956.3.1

Carved with highly polished, speckled, rust-colored stone, this wide, elongated urn is oval shaped when seen from above. We look onto one longer side in this photograph. The foot of the urn is carved into two lion’s feet, turned slightly outward at an angle from each other. Where the body of the urn meets the feet is an animal-like face with a prominent lower lip and lion-like nose. The lower portion of the urn curves up to create a shallow bowl shape before angling inward into a deeply carved cove above. Two scrolling handles, one on each narrow end of the urn, curve from the bulging bowl of the urn down to the feet. Each handle is decorated with a human face, seen in profile with mouth open, near where the handle meets the body of the urn. The lid is decorated with scrolls and foliation that flank a humanoid face with a gaping mouth, a broad nose, and wide-open eyes. Light glints off the smooth polished surface, and the urn sits against a charcoal-gray background.
Florentine 16th Century, Urn with Grotesque Masks, c. 1580/1620, porphyry, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1953.13.2

Urn with Grotesque Masks

Florentine 16th Century · c. 1580/1620 · porphyry ·  Accession ID  1953.13.2

Shown from the chest up, a woman with smooth, pale, peachy-toned skin wearing a carnation-pink and white gown looks at us from this vertical portrait painting. The woman’s shoulders are angled to our left, but she turns her head and tips it to our right to look at us with brown eyes under curving, gray brows. She has an oval face with a straight nose, a hint of a double chin, and her full pink lips are closed in a slight smile. Her ash-brown hair is pulled up and back and curls across the top of her head around pink and white ribbons pleated to resemble flowers. Her square-necked, low-cut bodice is lined with lace across her pale decolletage. The fabric is patterned with thinner white stripes and wider dark pink stripes. A choker tight around her neck has a pink ribbon edged with white lace and tied into a bow at the front of her throat. The necklace is tied on with a white bow at the back of her neck. She wears a gold ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, which is closer to us. On that wrist, four strands of white pearls hold a miniature oval portrait of a pale-skinned person. The woman holds a gold and emerald-green compact with that hand, and the other rests on an aquamarine-blue cushion or cloth in front of her at chest height. She pinches something brown between those fingers, and a few specks of brown are in the box. She sits in a wooden chair upholstered with moss green on the back. A curtain or other swath of muted purple fabric is to the left, and the wall behind her has chair-rail molding and is painted soft leaf green.
Anonymous Artist, Portrait of a Lady, 18th century, oil on canvas, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1953.13.1

Portrait of a Lady

Anonymous Artist · 18th century · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1953.13.1

Shown from the thighs up, a pale-skinned man wearing armor and holding an arrow stands in front of a wine-red curtain drawn aside to show a cloud-streaked sky in this square painting. The man’s body is angled to our right, and he looks at us from the corners of his brown eyes. He has gray brows, flushed, high cheekbones, a straight nose, and his lips are closed under an ash-brown moustache over a long, gray beard. His gray hair is close cropped. His pewter-silver armor is lined and banded with gold, and decorated with lions’ heads at the shoulder we can see and across the tasset, spanning his hips. He holds the arrow in his left hand, to our right, so one end points toward his chest. The other hand rests by his side on a baton or hilt of a weapon. The curtain shows the edge of a column and stone banister, close behind the man’s far shoulder. Ivory-white clouds touched with pale pink are against a teal-blue sky in the right third of the painting.
Anonymous Artist, Agostino Barbarigo, possibly 17th century, oil on canvas, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1957.8.1

Agostino Barbarigo

Anonymous Artist · possibly 17th century · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1957.8.1

This is a painting of a scene depicting a landscape with ships, figures, and a floral border. The figures are dressed in elaborate costumes and surrounded by exotic animals and terrestrial features. They interact with each other and objects like baskets of fruits, suggesting a theme related to exploration or the exotic. The painting is rich in color and detail, emphasizing textiles and floral motifs, resembling Baroque art.
Lodewijck van Schoor, Pieter Spierincx, Brussels 17th Century, America, c. 1675/1699, tapestry: undyed wool warp, dyed wool and silk weft, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1950.6.1

America

Lodewijck van Schoor, Pieter Spierincx, Brussels 17th Century · c. 1675/1699 · tapestry: undyed wool warp, dyed wool and silk weft ·  Accession ID  1950.6.1

The image depicts a sketch of a person seated sideways with one leg crossed over the other. The individual has wavy, short hair, facial features with a slight profile view, and is wearing a loose, flowing garment with detailed sketch lines showing folds and creases. The background is lightly sketched with abstract lines and shapes, possibly indicating a wall or draped fabrics. The drawing is done in sepia and light brown hues on a textured background, with no visible jewelry or objects held by the person.
Italian 17th Century, A Young Man, 16th century, pen and brown ink with brown wash over red chalk on blue laid paper, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1956.12.3

A Young Man

Italian 17th Century · 16th century · pen and brown ink with brown wash over red chalk on blue laid paper ·  Accession ID  1956.12.3

Charles de La Fosse, Zeger Jacob van Helmont, Augustin Coppens, Urbanus Leyniers, Daniël Leyniers II, Hendrik Reydams II, Apollo and Daphne, 1713/1721, tapestry: undyed wool warp, dyed wool and silk weft, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1951.1.1

Apollo and Daphne

Charles de La Fosse, Zeger Jacob van Helmont, Augustin Coppens, Urbanus Leyniers, Daniël Leyniers II, Hendrik Reydams II · 1713/1721 · tapestry: undyed wool warp, dyed wool and silk weft ·  Accession ID  1951.1.1

This painting shows the upper body of a person, focusing on their face and shoulders. The person is facing forward, looking directly at us. Their facial features include pale skin, large dark eyes, defined eyebrows, a straight nose, and a closed mouth with full, red lips. Their dark hair is styled on top of their head. The person is wearing a garment in shades of purple, with visible gold and white bands. Earrings with small dots of red and white hang from the ears. The painting is aged, with noticeable signs of wear and peeling occurring from the wood it was painted on, creating vertical lines and patches where the paint is no longer present.
Egyptian 2nd Century, Portrait of a Woman, 2nd century, encaustic on wood, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1956.12.1

Portrait of a Woman

Egyptian 2nd Century · 2nd century · encaustic on wood ·  Accession ID  1956.12.1

The image displays three people seated around a table. They are shown in side profile with detailed outlines of their faces and elaborate hairstyles. They are dressed in formal historical attire. A candlestick is on the table, illuminating the scene. The background features detailed interior decor. The drawing style is sketch-like with pen and ink giving it soft, monochromatic tones.
Louis Durameau, A Game of Cards, 1767, pen and brown ink with brown wash and white heightening over graphite on laid paper, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1954.17.3

A Game of Cards

Louis Durameau · 1767 · pen and brown ink with brown wash and white heightening over graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1954.17.3

The painting depicts a man from the waist up, seated and facing slightly to the right. He has a light complexion, soft expression, and medium-length straight brown hair mostly covered by a flat beret-style hat. He wears a dark brown robe with wide sleeves over a dark garment, and a white shirt with a visible collar underneath. The man holds a walking stick in his left hand and a chain with several keys in his right hand, resting on a patterned surface in front of him. The background is a muted, dark green, with a shadow cast behind him and text inscribed at the top of the image.
Antwerp 16th Century, Portrait of an Almoner of Antwerp, 1542, oil on panel, Gift of Lewis Einstein, 1956.3.2

Portrait of an Almoner of Antwerp

Antwerp 16th Century · 1542 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  1956.3.2

Bibliography

1967

  • "Lewis Einstein, Retired Diplomat and Author." [obituary] The Washington Post (6 December 1967).

  • "Lewis Einstein, Ex-Diplomat, 90." [obituary] The New York Times (6 December 1967).