Portrait of Edie Rickey
- Depicted
- Edith Rickey, American, 1924–1995
- Date
- 1949
- Material
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- Modern and Contemporary Art
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 23 3/4 x 15 7/8 in. (60.3 x 40.3 cm)
framed: 27 5/16 x 19 1/2 in. (69.4 x 49.5 cm) - Credit Line
- Gift of George Rickey, in memory of Edie
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 38:1996
Provenance
Max Beckmann (1884-1950), St. Louis, MO, USA; New York, NY [1]
1949 - 1996
George W. Rickey (1907-2002) and Edith Rickey (1924-1995), Allentown, PA; Bloomington, IN; East Chatham, NY, commissioned from the artist [2]
1996 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by George Rickey [3]
Notes:
[1] Max Beckmann kept lists of most of his paintings which often included the dates that they were worked on and later notes on who purchased them. This painting is included in Beckmann's 1949 St. Louis list as number 8. Beckmann notes that he completed the painting on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949, and that it is in the collection of Mr. Rickey of Chicago [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976, cat. no. 788].
[2] George Rickey, an artist himself, who had recently purchased another painting by Beckmann also in the Saint Louis Art Museum's collection ("Leda," 187:1993), first inquired about the possibility of Beckmann painting a portrait of George's wife, Edith (Edie), in the fall of 1948 [correspondence between Max Beckmann and George Rickey dating between September 1948 and March 1949, SLAM document files]. The portrait was painted in St. Louis in 1949, while the Rickeys were staying in Chicago.
In September 1949, Beckmann's dealer, Curt Valentin, informed the Rickeys that the portrait was finished, but that he would like to display it in his gallery that fall [information provided by Edith Rickey, December 29, 1993, from her 1984 essay titled "Remembering Max Beckmann," manuscript, SLAM document files; "Max Beckmann: Recent Work." New York: Buchholz Gallery Curt Valentin, October 18 - November 5, 1949, cat. 19].
[3] Correspondence dated March 8, 1996 and April 1, 1996 from George Rickey to the Museum indicates his intent to make a gift of the painting to the Museum, in memory of his wife, Edith [SLAM document files]. Deed of Gift from George Rickey dated April 9, 1996 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, May 16, 1996.
1949 - 1996
George W. Rickey (1907-2002) and Edith Rickey (1924-1995), Allentown, PA; Bloomington, IN; East Chatham, NY, commissioned from the artist [2]
1996 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by George Rickey [3]
Notes:
[1] Max Beckmann kept lists of most of his paintings which often included the dates that they were worked on and later notes on who purchased them. This painting is included in Beckmann's 1949 St. Louis list as number 8. Beckmann notes that he completed the painting on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949, and that it is in the collection of Mr. Rickey of Chicago [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976, cat. no. 788].
[2] George Rickey, an artist himself, who had recently purchased another painting by Beckmann also in the Saint Louis Art Museum's collection ("Leda," 187:1993), first inquired about the possibility of Beckmann painting a portrait of George's wife, Edith (Edie), in the fall of 1948 [correspondence between Max Beckmann and George Rickey dating between September 1948 and March 1949, SLAM document files]. The portrait was painted in St. Louis in 1949, while the Rickeys were staying in Chicago.
In September 1949, Beckmann's dealer, Curt Valentin, informed the Rickeys that the portrait was finished, but that he would like to display it in his gallery that fall [information provided by Edith Rickey, December 29, 1993, from her 1984 essay titled "Remembering Max Beckmann," manuscript, SLAM document files; "Max Beckmann: Recent Work." New York: Buchholz Gallery Curt Valentin, October 18 - November 5, 1949, cat. 19].
[3] Correspondence dated March 8, 1996 and April 1, 1996 from George Rickey to the Museum indicates his intent to make a gift of the painting to the Museum, in memory of his wife, Edith [SLAM document files]. Deed of Gift from George Rickey dated April 9, 1996 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, May 16, 1996.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.