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Catalog Data

Artist:
George Biddle, 24 Jan 1885 - 6 Nov 1973  Search this
Probably:
Yasuo Kuniyoshi, 01 Sep 1889 - 14 May 1953  Search this
Sitter:
Hélène Sardeau, 1899 - 1969  Search this
Henry McBride, 25 Jul 1867 - 31 Mar 1962  Search this
Peggy Bacon, 2 May 1895 - 4 Jan 1987  Search this
George Ehrenfried Grosz, 26 Jul 1893 - 6 Jul 1959  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Frame: 97 × 122.4 × 6.4 cm (38 3/16 × 48 3/16 × 2 1/2")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1933
Exhibition Label:
Speakeasies, or illegal bars, sprang up in New York City during the Prohibition era (1920–1933), becoming favorite hangouts for many artists. The painter George Biddle peppered his diaries with accounts of late-night sessions at various underground establishments, where he and his artist friends met to drink, smoke, and argue about art. In 1933, as Prohibition neared its end, Biddle painted a series of speakeasy scenes, often including witty portraits of colleagues. Here, he depicts an evening at Zum Brauhaus. Biddle’s wife, sculptor Hélène Sardeau (1899–1969), sits beside the pipe smoking painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889–1953). The caricaturist Peggy Bacon (1895–1987) smokes a ciga rette at far right, while her husband, artist Alexander Brook (1898–1980), stands at the bar behind her. While working on this series, Biddle lobbied government officials to adopt his plan for employing painters during the Depression—an idea that ulti mately became the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Durante la era de la ley seca (1920–1933) apare cieron en la ciudad de Nueva York los bares ilegales llamados speakeasies, sitios de reunión favoritos de muchos artistas. El pintor George Biddle relató en su diario diversas veladas en estos lugares donde él y sus amigos artistas se reunían para beber, fumar y hablar de arte. En 1933, hacia el final de la ley seca, Biddle pintó una serie de escenas de speakeasies donde solía incluir retratos ingeniosos de sus colegas. Aquí muestra una velada en Zum Brauhaus. La esposa de Biddle, la escultora Hélène Sardeau (1899–1969), está sentada junto al pintor Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889–1953), que sostiene una pipa. La caricaturista Peggy Bacon (1895–1987) aparece a la extrema derecha con un cigarrillo, y su esposo, el artista Alexander Brook (1898–1980), está de pie junto al bar detrás de ella. Mientras trabajaba en esta serie, Biddle cabildeó ante el gobierno para que adoptara su plan de emplear artistas durante la Gran Depresión, idea que culminó más tarde en la creación de la Adminis tración para el Progreso de Obras Públicas (WPA).
Provenance:
The artist; his estate handled by (D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc., New York); purchased 1987 NPG
Topic:
Costume\Headgear\Hat  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this
Equipment\Smoking Implements\Pipe  Search this
Equipment\Smoking Implements\Cigarette  Search this
Home Furnishings\Drinking vessel\Mug  Search this
Food\Beverage\Alcoholic  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie  Search this
Hélène Sardeau: Female  Search this
Hélène Sardeau: Visual Arts\Artist\Sculptor  Search this
Henry McBride: Male  Search this
Henry McBride: Visual Arts\Art critic  Search this
Henry McBride: Journalism and Media\Journalist\Columnist  Search this
Henry McBride: Literature\Writer\Essayist  Search this
George Ehrenfried Grosz: Visual Arts\Artist  Search this
George Ehrenfried Grosz: Male  Search this
George Ehrenfried Grosz: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Teacher  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Visual Arts\Artist  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Female  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Visual Arts\Artist\Printmaker\Etcher  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Literature\Writer  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Visual Arts\Artist\Caricaturist  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Visual Arts\Artist\Illustrator  Search this
Peggy Bacon: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Teacher  Search this
Yasuo Kuniyoshi: Male  Search this
Yasuo Kuniyoshi: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.87.241
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© Estate of George Biddle
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm467845c64-bd74-4ec9-b394-5f6aeb5ca7b2
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.87.241