Ailsa Mellon Bruce, 1926

West Building, Main Floor — Founders Room

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

overall: 122.2 x 96.6 cm (48 1/8 x 38 1/16 in.)

framed: 142.2 x 116.2 cm (56 x 45 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection

Accession Number

1970.20.1

Artists / Makers

Philip Alexius de László (artist) British, born Hungary, 1869 - 1937

Image Use

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Inscription

lower right: de László / 1926. III.

Provenance

Ailsa Mellon Bruce [1901-1969], New York;[1] bequest 1970 to NGA.

[1] The painting is entered in the artist's sitters book (vol. II, p. 48, courtesy of Sandra de László, author of the Philip de László catalogue raisonné) as "Ailsa Mellon March 3rd" under the signature of her father, Andrew W. Mellon. This indicates it was at least begun, if not also finished, prior to Ailsa Mellon's marriage to David Bruce on 29 May 1926. It is not known whether the first owner was the sitter's father, or the sitter herself. See also The De Laszlo Archive Trust website, www.delaszlocatalogueraisonne.com, where the painting is number 6430, and a preparatory drawing, number 5729, is described and illustrated.

Associated Names

Bruce Estate, Ailsa Mellon, Trustees of the

Exhibition History

1932: An Exhibition of Portraits by P.A. de Laszlo, M.V.O., for the Benefit of the Emergency Unemployment Relief Fund, Knoedler Galleries, New York, 1932, no. 1, as Mrs. David Bruce.

1969: In Memoriam, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1969, unnumbered checklist.

Bibliography

1975: European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 188, repro.

1991: Kopper, Philip. America's National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation. New York, 1991: x, 257, color repros.