I have been told that Edith was the photographer of the photo of Sargent on Dwight's yacht [Thumbnail]. Note that Sargent, who always like to paint under a large parasol/umbrella, had no place to put the parasol on board the boat, so he tied it to his leg, with supporting stays to various parts of the boat. Several of those lines are visible in the photo.
I am currently researching his life and work, and I hope to live long enough to see it published. The article in American Art Review gives a short biography of Dwight.
Elizabeth Stillinger has a chapter on Dwight in her book The Antiquers (NY: Knopf, 1980), 105-112. She, of course emphasizes his role as an antique collector of American antiques. Dwight was interested in all kinds of craftsmanship, whether painting, woodworking, silver, etc.
Perhaps, in view of the fact that these two JSS paintings show the painter Dwight Blaney, you might include him in your list of artist friends of Sargent.
Ben Blaney
(Editor's Note - What a great idea)
* * *
Dwight Blaney (1865-1944) was from Salem and Boston. He became a well-known draftsman, authority on antiques and a gentleman artist. He was a graduate of the Chauncy Hall School in Boston and later associated with the Carnegie Institute (Marblehead Mag)
Notes:
John Singer Sargent, An Exhibition -- Whitney Museum, NY & The Art Institute of Chicago 1986-1987
The Smithonian Archives of American Art has Dwight Blaney papers, [ca. 1883-1930].
Parke Bernet Galleries Sale Catalog: No. 1175, 1950, lot 620.
McKibbin, David, "Sargent's Boston," Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1956.
From: Ben Blaney
bb la ney@ironbound.net
Date: Friday, December 5, 2003
Enjoyed your site immensely & will enjoy exploring it further. JSS visited my grandfather Dwight Blaney several times on Ironbound Island, and made at least 7 paintings there, only 2 of which I found on your site-- 'On the Verandah' & 'The artist sketching' (both showing his friend and fellow artist
Dwight Blaney). Would you happen to know where 'On the Verandah' is currently? I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of the gallery!
From: Natasha
All I know is what we see here. What can you tell us about what the family knows about Sargent's visits?
I don't know the owner of the painting.
Subject: Image of Elizabeth Blaney portrait
From: Alan Murgida,
<Al n5@netscape.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2001
Thank you for taking time to read my email.
I once saw a portrait by JSS of 'Elizabeth Blaney' of Boston and am interested if you can direct me where I might find prints/reproductions of the painting. I saw it in the home of Mrs G Frank Cram (nee, E.B.) of Marblehead MA (General Glover House). She also had sketches by JSS in a great tome that greeted guests that visited them on their island home off the coast of Bar Harbour ME. (Guests would sign the book. Poets would scribble limericks/rhyme. And, painters would sketch.) She was a girl of approximately age 12-16, I believe, at the time the painting was made. It's almost a full portrait of her seated at a table beside the fireplace in the manor of the island home. It had somber colors except for her sailor's blouse and bright face. She would tell me stories of her childhood, and, although I lost touch with her many years ago, I would like to see the picture once again. With much appreciation should you have any thoughts or knowledge of the painting or prints.
Alan Murgida, Al n5@netscape.net.
From: Ben Blaney
bb la ney@ironbound.net
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2003
The portrait of Elizabeth Blaney mentioned by Alan Murgida was not painted by JSS, but rather by William Paxton, another good friend of Dwight's, in 1916. The painting was exhibited at the MFA in Boston in 1986 and a color photo of it appeared in the catalogue of that exhibition [The Bostonians: Painters of an Elegant Age, 1870-1980, (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1986), plate 15]. I don't know whether any posters of it are available, as the painting was sold after her death.