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Catalog Data

Artist:
Arthur Kaufmann, 7 Jul 1888 - 25 Sep 1971  Search this
Sitter:
George Gershwin, 26 Sep 1898 - 11 Jul 1937  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Stretcher: 92.1 x 62.2 x 2.5cm (36 1/4 x 24 1/2 x 1")
Frame: 114.3 x 84.5 x 8.9cm (45 x 33 1/4 x 3 1/2")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1936
Exhibition Label:
Born New York City
In the early decades of the twentieth century, when waves of immigration and explosive urban growth transformed the face of America, George Gershwin emerged as a transcendent voice of modernism. His staccato-paced, syncopated rhythms helped define the Jazz Age on Broadway in the 1920s in such shows as Lady Be Good and Girl Crazy. At the height of the Great Depression, his “folk opera” Porgy and Bess attempted to catch the clash and blends of cultural “interfusions” that he saw as distinctively American. And he was part of the Hollywood scene during the golden age of the silver screen, notably completing—with his lyricist brother Ira—the score for The Goldwyn Follies just before his death in 1937, at age thirty-nine. Gershwin had become a centrifugal force in the lively arts in years marked by a search for a modern American identity.
Provenance:
The artist; Edward Wormley [1907-1995]; Mrs. Ben Aronson, New York; purchased 1973 NPG
Topic:
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie  Search this
George Gershwin: Male  Search this
George Gershwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer  Search this
George Gershwin: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
George Gershwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Songwriter  Search this
George Gershwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist  Search this
George Gershwin: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.73.8
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Bravo!
On View:
NPG, South Gallery 321 Mezzanine
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4623bff04-5998-4b6c-8f66-e0218b8ec34a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.73.8