Andrew W. Mellon

1933

Sir Oswald Hornby Joseph Birley

Associated Names
Sir Oswald Hornby Joseph Birley

Artist, British, 1880 - 1952

This painting is a portrait of a man seated in a cushioned wooden armchair, his body slightly turned towards the right and his head facing us. He has pale skin, white hair, a white moustache, deep-set eyes, prominent cheekbones, and thin lips set in a neutral expression. He is dressed in a black suit over a white shirt and striped, gray-and-black tie. One hand rests on the chair's arm and the other rests on the desk next to him, holding what looks like a clear monocle or large ring. The wooden desk is on the right, with a stack of books and papers on top of it. The background is gray, with some muted shades of green and yellow visible on the right.
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On View

West Building Main Floor, Founders Room

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mrs. Mellon Bruce

  • Dimensions

    overall: 133.4 x 105.4 cm (52 1/2 x 41 1/2 in.)
    framed: 162.6 x 134.6 x 10.1 cm (64 x 53 x 4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1941.9.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The sitter, Andrew W. Mellon [1855-1937], Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.; by inheritance to his daughter, Mrs. Ailsa Mellon Bruce [1901-1969], New York; gift 1941 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1950

  • Makers of History in Washington 1800-1950 [An Exhibition Celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the Establishment of the Federal Government in Washington], National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1950, no. 116, repro.

1952

  • Portraits of Personalities, Past and Present, Portraits, Inc., New York, 1952, no. 4.

1968

  • This New Man: A Discourse in Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1968, unnumbered, 154, repro.

Bibliography

1952

  • Fitzsimmons, James. "Famous Faces." The Art Digest 26 (1 February 1952): 17.

1965

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 15.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 8, repro.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 30, repro.

1991

  • Kopper, Philip. America's National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation. New York, 1991: 36, 40, color repro.

Inscriptions

lower left: Oswald Birley / 1933

Wikidata ID

Q20192902

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