Portrait of a Woman

Possibly with Duveen Brothers, London, by 1911 [1];

Probably Ernest Renton (1848–1921), London, by July 9, 1914;

Probably purchased from Renton by French and Company, New York, stock no. 5582, July 9, 1914–1944 [2],

Purchased from French and Company by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1944.

Notes

[1] Miniature specialist Elle Shushan remarked in 2017 that the miniature was housed in a “Duveen frame.” According to provenance specialist MacKenzie Mallon, “In stock book 18 for Duveen’s London branch, Duveen sold a large number of miniatures to ‘E. R.’ on 30 July 1911. I could not find E. R.’s full name, but I did notice one instance in which ‘Renton’ is listed as a seller of a miniature to Duveen. So clearly Duveen and Renton did business in miniatures, and it’s possible Renton acquired this mini from Duveen.” Notes in NAMA curatorial files.

[2] The French and Company stock number for this miniature is documented in the NAMA registration files. The corresponding stock sheet, however, is missing from the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, French and Company Stock Sheets, box 4, folder 3. The sheets with stock numbers immediately preceding and following the miniature’s stock number are also for miniatures, all of which were purchased from Ernest Renton on July 9, 1914. It is reasonable to expect this miniature was also acquired from Renton on the same date. Thank you to MacKenzie Mallon for this extensive research.