Subject: Alfred son of Asher is significant and personal
From: raven schultz
Date: 07 Feb 2001
boy oh boy.... well, i first saw this painting life size and in the flesh at the seattle art museum and completely fell IN LOVE with it. have you ever seen this one? well, it's significance to me is personal. it reminds me very much of a boy i used to know and still miss. the story behind both the boy i knew and of alfred wertheimer are both tragic. didn't alfred die in war before being able to further persue his love of science? well, i found this portrait to be absolutely haunting. it was as if the eyes of alfred were alive and ghostly all at once, and then, the conection of this alfred to the boy i knew made it more so...
From Natasha
Date 2/13/01 Updated 4/12/02
I loved your comments, Raven, He died in the Boer War at the age of 25. When the painting was being done he was studying to be a chemist and Sargent has painted him with his books on the table and chemist's flasks in the background.