Seaside (July: Specimen of a Portrait)

oil on fabricJames Tissot (French, 1836–1902)/1878

Description

This painting depicts a woman reclining upon an upholstered couch on a summer day while light filters through a partially closed awning that provides a glimpse of a beach in the background. James Tissot’s mature works from this time were more likely to convey a mood—here of a languid summer afternoon—than a specific narrative. The model for this painting was Kathleen Newton, born Kathleen Ashburnham Kelly (1854–1882), the artist’s lover from 1876 until her untimely death from tuberculosis at the age of 28.

Provenance

(Knoedler & Co., New York, NY, May 31,1879, acquired form the artist).; Arrived in New York via Jos. Bulla, Paris, July 14, 1879, Femme au sofa (stock number 1645).; (Knoedler, New York, NY, October 4, 1879, sold to Henry Hilton, as Summer-days); (American Art Galleries, New York, NY, Hilton Collection sale, February 13-16 February 1900 (lot 74), sold to Edward Brandus); (W. Postar, Boston, MA, sold to Herbert Schwarz); Herbert Schwarz, Montreal; (Sotheby's, Los Angeles, CA, Parke-Bernet, May 22-23, 1972, lot 260, Jeune femme assise with unsustainable provenance); (Williams & Son, London, United Kingdom, May 1972); Clarence Frisbee, London, October 1972.; (Christie's, London, United Kingdom, July 25, 1975, lot 115); Mr. Noah L. Butkin [1918-1980] Shaker Heights, OH, bequeathed to the Cleveland Museum of Art; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Dimensions

87.5 × 61 cm

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Movement / Period

Modern European Painting and Sculpture

Accession No

1980.288

Official Citations

[The Cleveland Museum of Art Official Record][Full Resolution Image]

Curatorial Affinity Stream

Continuing the Universe of James Tissot (French, 1836–1902)

Modern European Painting and Sculpture • France, 19th century • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries

Continuous Discovery