Beauford's Portrait of Mary Painter

Ever since I published the following 2012 articles about Beauford and his friendship with Mary Painter:

Beauford and Mary Painter
Beauford's Paris: Rue des Carmes,

I've been searching for a portrait that Beauford did of Painter.  Because of his proclivity for sketching and painting the people he loved, I felt strongly that he must have captured Painter's likeness on canvas.

Thanks to a recent introduction to Painter's niece, Carolyn Wells, my search may be over!

 Mary Painter (?)
(1967-69) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated lower right: Beauford Delaney 1969
Signed, dated and inscribed verso:
Beauford Delaney / 1967 / Paris / France
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Wells told me that the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (MRG)* might have a portrait of her aunt, so I inquired there.  The gallery sent me the image shown above, accompanied by a document that provides the provenance and a painterly description of the work, as well as information about Painter.

MRG acquired the painting from the Beauford Delaney estate and conducted research to identify Painter as the subject.  They spoke with Wells, who told me it seems very likely that the person in the painting is Painter. 

They have a photo of Painter, contributed by Wells, that shows Painter's hair flowing over her shoulders similar to the way Beauford has depicted the woman in this painting. Wells confirms that her aunt had long red hair.

 

Mary Painter (c. 1946-47)
Photo reproduced with the permission of Carolyn Wells

The rear of the painting bears the following information on the stretcher:

Property of M et Mme Jim Legros / Chaville, France

 Verso of Mary Painter (?)
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery 

Verso of Mary Painter (?) - detail

Jim and Bunny LeGros were dear friends of Beauford, and the Les Amis blog has featured them in multiple posts over the years.  They lived in the Paris suburb of Vélizy, for which the nearest train station is Gare de Chaville-Vélizy.

Unfortunately, Beauford did not write Painter's name on this work.

*Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC is Special Advisor and Representative of the Estate of Beauford Delaney.