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Florence Sittenham Davey (Mrs. Randall Davey) by Bellows, George

Bellows, George · 1914

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George Bellows painted Florence Sittenham Davey in 1914, a portrait not of a paying client but of a close friend. The painting, now in a private collection, captures the wife of his fellow artist Randall Davey in a moment of quiet, unguarded ease.

Notice the difference from formal portraiture of the era. Her hands rest loosely in her lap, holding a folded fan without stiffness. Her gaze is direct but relaxed. The wicker chair arm at lower left tells you this is an informal, domestic setting, the subject at home with the painter.

Bellows built his career on the grit of New York streets and boxing rings, but among friends his brush softened without losing its energy. The broad, loose strokes of her white dress show a painter confident enough to let the brushwork breathe. He died of a burst appendix in 1925, at just 42.

A painting like this asks nothing of the sitter except presence. What do you think she was thinking about?

#arthistory #georgebellows #americanrealism

Details

Her steady, composed gaze anchors the portrait , Bellows's intimacy with the sitter shows in the relaxed but self-possessed expression.
Her steady, composed gaze anchors the portrait , Bellows's intimacy with the sitter shows in the relaxed but self-possessed expression.
The hat's broad brim and decorative band signal fashionable leisure; it frames the face like a halo and dominates the upper composition.
The hat's broad brim and decorative band signal fashionable leisure; it frames the face like a halo and dominates the upper composition.
The saturated emerald sash is the single strongest color accent , a deliberate compositional punch against the white dress and muted background.
The saturated emerald sash is the single strongest color accent , a deliberate compositional punch against the white dress and muted background.
The broad, free handling of white fabric shows Bellows's bravura brushwork , a virtuoso passage of warm and cool whites.
The broad, free handling of white fabric shows Bellows's bravura brushwork , a virtuoso passage of warm and cool whites.
The pearls signal genteel status and draw the eye down from face to torso; a small but class-marking detail.
The pearls signal genteel status and draw the eye down from face to torso; a small but class-marking detail.
Transcript

She looks at us without performance. Florence Davey was married to Bellows's friend, the painter Randall Davey. This is a portrait of a friendship, not a commission. Her hands rest easy. No tension, no performance. He died just 11 years later, at forty-two.