Milton Avery ~ More Portraits and Self Portraits

Annette Kaufman whose portrait is our feature of the week here at Fifty Two Pieces is still alive and living in the Los Angeles area in a home designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. Reportedly the first thing you see when you open the door is one of Milton Avery's many portraits of her husband Louis - Red Suspenders on White Shirt. I love the red in those suspenders and the lips, those lips are to die for. The use of that unusual coloring under Kaufman's eyes is quite striking. Browsing around the internet I found the image below. It's entitled Portrait of Louis M. Eilshemius and was painted in 1942. Eilshemius was a rather eccentric artist and certainly seems as such in Avery's portrait. If Hollywood were to make a movie of Eilshemius' life, I think the perfect actor to play the role would be Bill Murray.



Amy had two self portraits by Milton Avery on her Friday post. The more sedate one showing Avery with a hat was done in 1930. The other with haunting wide eyes and bright red lips was painted in 1944. A great deal must have transpired in those fourteen years. As can be seen in the self portrait below, the process had already started in 1939. Those blue eyes are chilling and the red ears –– the only time I've seen ears that red is when someone is running a high fever. The red stripes in that shirt could well be pajamas.



And in 1950, he created this triangular version of himself -- almost sedate by comparison with the painting from 1939 and the one the other day from 1944.

Milton Avery ~ Portrait of Annette Kaufman and more

Here are the main characters for this week here at Fifty Two Pieces. Annette Kaufman sits in a chair posing for Milton Avery who is painting her portrait. Between them stands Louis Kaufman, Annette's husband and preeminent violinist – they are all posing for the photographer of this image. As mentioned on Thursday's post, the Kaufmans purchased the very first painting Milton Avery ever sold. They continued to collect his paintings as well as those from many other artists. Since Louis' death in the 1990's, Annette, through their foundation, has given much of their collection of art and scores to museums and libraries.

Here are a few more of Avery's portraits of Annette to compare with the one here at the Portland Art Museum – the first shown below.























































And here's another tribute to Annette Kaufman – an oil done by Lawrence Lebduska. It hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

Milton Avery ~ Portrait of Annette Kaufman

This image has graced the North wall of the last gallery of American art at the Portland Art Museum since I've been coming to the museum. For years, I wondered who this woman. Why had Milton Avery painted her portrait as well as the man next to her, Louis Kaufman? One day I sat down and did a Google search. It turns out Annette and Louis Kaufman were friends and patrons of Milton Avery beginning in the twenties and early 30's. It seems that in 1926, Mr. Kaufman paid Milton Avery $25 for one of his oil paintings, the very first one Avery sold. On his first date with Annette, Louis Kaufman took her to meet the Averys and to see Milton's work. Louis asked Annette to marry him on their third date and immediately asked Avery to paint a portrait of Annette. It was to be one of many including this one. Look for some of these portraits later in the week as well as more about Milton Avery and his friends and patrons, Annette and Louis Kaufman.