Provenance

Paul Mellon

Mellon, Paul
Mellon, Paul Estate of

American, 1907 - 1999

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A cleanshaven man wearing a black and red diamond-patterned costume and holding a white wooden sword tucked under one arm stands in a room with a blue background in this vertical painting. The scene is loosely painted with visible brushstrokes that make patches of mottled color. The man stands with his body angled to our right and seems to look down in that direction, though the dark eyes are loosely painted. His right eyebrow, closer to us, is a dark, curving arch. Touches of pink suggest rosy cheeks, and only a subtle swipe of pink suggests a mouth, which appears to be missing when seeing this work from afar. An arctic-blue cap curves widely down over the ears like an upside-down crescent moon. Some transparent swipes of black could be a lace or feather collar around the costume’s neckline. The hand we see, near the end of the sword, is oversized and painted in tones of fog blue and beige. The right foot steps in front of the left. He wears black shoes, and the toes are turned out. The wall behind the man is dappled with spruce blue, laurel green, and some touches of pinkish tan. A darker baseboard separates the wall from the floor below, which is made with patches of sky blue, rust red, pale pink, and olive green. The swag of a curtain, in shades of goldenrod yellow and muted teal blue, hangs on the wall behind the person’s head.
Paul Cezanne, Harlequin, 1888-1890, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1985.64.7

Harlequin

Paul Cezanne · 1888-1890 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1985.64.7

A sprig of flowering rosemary lying against an ivory-white background and the twelve insects that surround it fills this horizontal painting. Stretching nearly the length of the composition with the cut end to our left, the rosemary has blunted, needle-like, gently curling teal-green leaves and small periwinkle-blue flowers along the ash-brown stem. Several insects perch on the sprig while others are seen as if looking from overhead, resting on the white background. The three largest insects perch along the top of the sprig, with an ivory-white butterfly with moss-green and black markings to the left, a black and golden, fuzzy bumblebee near the center, and a lemon-yellow butterfly with red antennae to our right. A tiny red insect, perhaps a ladybug without spots, sits on a leaf between the bee and yellow butterfly, and a small wasp-like insect rests on a leaf in at the lower left. Another mosquito-like insect alights on the surface nearby, next to a beetle with a honey-orange body with black, almost tiger-like stripes. A large cockroach sitting near the lower right corner has six spindly legs, a mahogany-colored abdomen, a black thorax, and tiny, black head. Spaced somewhat evenly across the top of the panel are a brick-red, winged insect to the left, a mint-green, beetle-like bug near a moth patterned with bone white and black, and a black, fly-like insect to our right. Lit from the upper left, the rosemary and insects cast shadows on the surface. The artist signed and dated the work with gray in the lower left corner: “J v. kessel . . f. Ao 1653.”
Jan van Kessel the Elder, Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary, 1653, oil on copper, The Richard C. Von Hess Foundation, Nell and Robert Weidenhammer Fund, Barry D. Friedman, and Friends of Dutch Art, 2018.41.1

Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary

Jan van Kessel the Elder · 1653 · oil on copper ·  Accession ID  2018.41.1

An arched bridge faintly materializes in a haze of soft turquoise blue and mint green in this horizontal landscape painting. The bridge has four arches under a flat deck, and it extends off each side of the canvas. Running across the middle of the composition, it angles slightly away from us to our right. The bridge is painted in strokes of slate blue and muted lavender purple, with darker shades on the shadowed undersides of the arches. Touches of rose pink and white along the deck suggest lights moving across the bridge. The water below is sky blue and seafoam green. A few vertical swipes of teal blue in the background suggest towers or tall buildings in the distance on the opposite shore. The sky above is painted with long strokes of lime green and robin’s egg blue. The artist signed the painting with cobalt blue in the lower right corner, “Claude Monet.”
Claude Monet, Waterloo Bridge, London, at Dusk, 1904, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1983.1.27

Waterloo Bridge, London, at Dusk

Claude Monet · 1904 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1983.1.27

Clouds hunker over a water-logged street that separates us from the end of a row of buildings in this horizontal painting. The scene is loosely painted, especially in the sky and water. The lowest level of the building across from us is apricot orange. The second story is pale peach, and dormered windows cut into the gray and then brown rooflines above. The words “AS’ NICOLAS” are painted in gray near the top of the second level, and more letters on the level below are illegible. The roofline drops down a level where it meets the structure next to it, along the left edge of the canvas. Two women in long skirts stand at a darkened, open doorway near the front corner of the structure. A sign on the side of the building hangs from a horizontal arm over three men in and near a shallow boat, which is being propelled by a man who stands in the stern with a long stick. The street is so wet that it first appears to be a canal or river. It is only when we notice dashes of mauve, pale pink, and gray to our left that we realize the cobblestone road is flooded. A band of buildings with tan walls and black or red roofs spans the right two-thirds of the horizon, which comes about a quarter of the way up this composition. A grove of cinnamon-brown trees and some open structures could be a submerged park in the near distance. Two poles and some spindly trees to our right are reflected in the water. Dark forms around these areas could be more people. Pale blue and very pale pink whip together in the sky, suggesting churning clouds veiling the blue sky. The artist signed and dated the work in the lower left corner, “Sisley 72.”
Alfred Sisley, Flood at Port-Marly, 1872, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1985.64.38

Flood at Port-Marly

Alfred Sisley · 1872 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1985.64.38

Pale beige, angular houses cluster at the center of the horizontal landscape painting. The hilly, rocky landscape around and below the houses is painted with cool blues and greens, and warm ivory and caramel brown beneath a pale blue sky. The artist applied the paint with regular, parallel, straight strokes.
Paul Cezanne, Houses in Provence: The Riaux Valley near L'Estaque, c. 1883, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1973.68.1

Houses in Provence: The Riaux Valley near L'Estaque

Paul Cezanne · c. 1883 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1973.68.1

A clear glass pitcher filled with white milk and a plate of bright red strawberries are the main focus of this painting. The plate of strawberries is on the left, and wide green leaves and small white flowers extend beyond the plate to the left and right. The glass pitcher is placed to the right of the strawberries, reflecting small squares of light. The surface under the plate and pitcher is blue-gray with hints of wood grain, and the wall behind them is dark brown, with an area of lighter brown on the right.
Raphaelle Peale, Strawberries and Cream, 1816, oil on wood, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 2014.18.34

Strawberries and Cream

Raphaelle Peale · 1816 · oil on wood ·  Accession ID  2014.18.34

The sculpture depicts a horse and rider engaged in a fast-paced gallop. The sculpture appears to be made of a bronze-like material, giving it a reddish-brown color. The horse's legs are stretched forward and backward, while the rider leans forward. The sculpture captures motion, with detailed texture on the horse and rider's clothing.
Edgar Degas, Jockey with Cap, possibly 1890s, pigmented beeswax, metal armature, cloth, paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1999.80.15

Jockey with Cap

Edgar Degas · possibly 1890s · pigmented beeswax, metal armature, cloth, paper ·  Accession ID  1999.80.15

The sculpture depicts a horse in a pose suggesting movement. The figure is slightly abstract with a textured surface. The horse is primarily brown in color, resembling a bronze patina. It is mounted on a wooden base. The horse is presented in profile, displaying a slender body, elongated legs, arched neck, and detailed mane and tail. The piece has an unfinished, tactile quality.
Edgar Degas, Horse Walking, possibly early 1870s, pigmented beeswax, metal armature, cork, on wooden base, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1999.80.13

Horse Walking

Edgar Degas · possibly early 1870s · pigmented beeswax, metal armature, cork, on wooden base ·  Accession ID  1999.80.13

The sculpture depicts a standing figure of a woman dressed in early 20th-century attire. The woman is wearing a long skirt and a blouse with a belt at the waist, and she has a wide-brimmed hat on her head. The sculpture is dark reddish-brown and appears to be made of a material resembling bronze, with a textured surface capturing the details of the clothing and posture. The woman is standing upright with one hand behind her back and the other holding onto a small handbag. She is mounted on a simple rectangular base, and the overall sculpture is proportional to a small human figure, suggesting a scale model of an everyday person of that era.
Edgar Degas, The Schoolgirl (Woman Walking in the Street), c. 1880/1881, pigmented beeswax, plastiline, metal armature, on plaster base, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1999.80.18

The Schoolgirl (Woman Walking in the Street)

Edgar Degas · c. 1880/1881 · pigmented beeswax, plastiline, metal armature, on plaster base ·  Accession ID  1999.80.18

The sculpture features two intertwined nude figures standing on a rectangular base. Both figures are shown in an embracing posture, leaning slightly towards one another. The figure on the left has its head lowered, while the one on the right is tilting its head upwards. Their limbs are intertwined, and they stand in a pose that suggests movement, with one leg of each figure extended behind them. The sculpture is made from terracotta, evident from its earthy orange color. The texture is slightly rough and uneven, which gives it a hand-crafted appearance and highlights the contours of the bodies. The material and color contribute to a warm and organic look, with the figures appearing lifelike due to the realistic proportions and dynamic pose.
Aristide Maillol, Women Wrestlers, 1900, terracotta, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1983.1.62

Women Wrestlers

Aristide Maillol · 1900 · terracotta ·  Accession ID  1983.1.62

Bibliography

1983

  • Richard, Paul. "Mellon Gives 93 Art Works." The Washington Post. 28 January 1983: D1, D8.

1985

  • Richard, Paul. "Paul Mellon, Reveries & Riches." The Washington Post. 2 May 1985: B1+

  • Kastor, Elisabeth. "The Glitter and Glow of Paul Mellon's Goodbye." The Washington Post. 4 May 1985: D1+

1989

  • Allis, Sam. "The Fine Art of Giving." Time 18 September 1989: 86-87

1992

  • Mellon, Paul, and John Baskett. Reflections in a Silver Spoon: A Memoir. New York, 1992.

1999

  • Barnes, Bart. "Philanthropist Paul Mellon Dies," The Washington Post, 2 February 1999:A1+