9636

Mary Ridgely Carter, later Mrs James Montgomery Beck 1934

Standing full-length in a landscape, wearing a white evening dress with a train and a blue stole, a Borzoi dog beside her on the right, set against a stormy sky

Oil on canvas, 213.4 x 121.9 cm (84 x 48 in.)

Inscribed lower left: de László / 1934 VII LONDON

Laib L21285 (270) / C5 (24): Miss Carter [sic]

Laib L18534 (889) / C5 (36): Mrs. Grace Cecil ? [sic]

NPG Album 1936-37, f. 19: Miss Carter of Philadelphia

Sitters’ Book II, f. 78: Mary Ridgely Carter July 20th 1934

Private Collection

This portrait of Mary Ridgely Carter, an American sitter, was painted in de László’s London studio. The artist made a number of preparatory works: a sheet of two pencil sketches [111606], which remains in the collection of a descendent of the artist, a signed pencil drawing [9763], presently untraced, and two oil sketches, which remain in the possession of the sitter’s family [9759][9760].  

Correspondence in the de László archive indicates that Mrs George Calvert Carter first approached the artist about the possibility of his painting her daughter in 1930. In November of that year she visited de László’s studio and viewed examples of his work.^[1] The artist’s secretary later provided Mrs Carter with a list of options for the size of the portrait with their respective honorariums: head and shoulders, 500 guineas; head and shoulders with hands, 800 guineas; three-quarter length, 1,500 guineas, and full-length, 2,000 guineas. Two years later, Mrs. Carter was again in contact, and was reminded of these prices by the artist’s secretary.^[2]

It was not until 1934 that the portrait was finally begun. Virginia Carter,^[3] the sitter’s sister, wrote to the artist from their London home at 41 Portman Square. She noted that both her sister and mother were ill, but once recovered were anxious to accept the artist’s invitation to tea, so they could: “talk over this matter of the portrait so dear to our hearts. We are not sure we can see our way financially especially as we wanted a large portrait.”^[4] Evidently her pleas were heard, as the artist’s secretary wrote to Mrs Carter on 3 May, asking for written acknowledgment of the agreed-upon honorarium of ₤1,400. “As this is considerably less than Mr. de László’s usual honorarium,” she cautioned, “he hopes you will treat the matter as strictly confidential.”^[5]

On 14 April 1934 the artist executed preparatory drawings of the sitter^[6] [111606] [9763] and three days later he made a preparatory oil sketch of her [9759] in a golden taffeta dress. He recorded in his diary: “I am afraid they wish the portrait in white with a blue sash – like Lady Buchanan [3739].”^[7] On 23 April he completed a second oil sketch [9760], closer to the completed portrait and with the addition of a Borzoi dog.^[8] Work on the present picture began 2 May^[9] with further sittings on 8, 11, 16 and 18 May, followed by a break while the artist traveled to Paris to fulfill other commissions.

Sittings for the portrait resumed on 18 June, when the artist made: “some very good changes,” and another followed on 19 June.^[10] On 20 June the artist finished the sitter’s head and the following morning a Borzoi was brought to the studio for de László to use as a model for the portrait: “The woman to whom the Dog belongs is just successful to hold sufficiently in the position, it is tyring [sic] – but satisfactory to me – to paint him by constant observation – a great artistic pleasure.”^[11] The artist had originally planned to hire a dog from Mr. Sidney Cole to be used in the portrait, but the artist’s secretary sent him, along with a cheque, his apologies for not using his dog, as the sitter: “brought one herself which she wishes him to paint.”^[12]

On 22 June he recorded that he would “leave it to rest & dry & will continue in 8 – days – in it[s] permanent fine frame.”^[13] However, on 26 June, he returned to work on the portrait, and subsequent sittings followed on 3, 4, 13, 14, 20 and 21 July.^[14] The artist was pleased with the final portrait, and noted in a letter to his friend John Robertson, “It is certainly a pleasure to have such a pretty young girl to paint.”^[15] On 22 August the sitter’s mother wrote to the artist, indicating that the portrait had arrived at their home in Portman Square, and that the Carters were “delighted with it.”^[16]

Mary Ridgely Carter was born 9 November 1904 in Washington, DC, the daughter of the Rev. George Calvert Carter (1868-1944) and his wife Mary Wray Benson (1871-1937). She was a descendent of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore and Proprietor of Maryland, and of Robert ‘King’ Carter of Corotoman, who once owned a large portion of the State of Virginia. Mary was also a niece of the late John Ridgely Carter, former U.S. Minister to the Balkans, and a cousin of Mildred, Countess of Gosford.

The family resided in London from about 1930 and at the time this portrait was painted in 1934 they were living at 41 Portman Square. On 25 October 1945 , the sitter married, James Montgomery Beck, Jr. (1892-1972), son of James Montgomery Beck (1861-1936) and Lilla Laurence Mitchell of Philadelphia.^[17] The couple had one son, Edward Ridgely Carter Beck (born 1948),^[18] whose godparents were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

In 1956 the sitter established the Newport Music Carnival in Rhode Island. In 1959 she was chosen as “Woman of the Year” by the women’s division of the Newport Chamber of Commerce.

On 16 April 1974 she died at Plaisance, her Newport estate.^[19]

PROVENANCE:

By descent in the family

EXHIBITED:

•Newportraits: Three Centuries of Newport People, Newport Art Museum, USA, July-September 1992, no 183

LITERATURE:

•Newportraits: Newport Art Museum, University Press of New England, Hanover, NH, 2000, pp. 26, 298; ill. p. 300

•Aarons, Slim, Once Upon a Time, Harry N. Abrams Inc., New York, 2003, p. 22, ill.

•DLA118-0144, letter from Mrs. George Calvert Carter to de László, 27 November 1930

•DLA065-0013, letter from de László’s secretary to Mrs. G. C. Carter, 29 August 1932

•DLA065-0002, letter from Miss Virginia Carter to de László (undated, though assumed 1934)

•DLA065-0007, letter from de László’s secretary to Mrs. G. C. Carter, 3 May 1934

•DLA065-0006, letter from de László’s secretary to Mary Ridgely Carter, 15 June 1934

•DLA118-0140, letter from de László’s secretary to Mr. Sidney F. Cole, 20 June 1934

•DLA023-0098, letter from de László to John Robertson of the Panmure Salon, Dundee, 19 July 1934

•DLA065-0005, letter from Mrs. G. C. Carter to de László, 22 August 1934

•László, Philip de, 1933-1934 diary, private collection

•László, Philip de, 1934 diary, private collection

MD 2014