110594

UNTRACED

Mrs Charles E.F. McCann, née Helena Maud Woolworth 1933

Seated three-quarter length to the right, head facing the viewer, wearing an evening gown with a large flower at her bosom, and a bejewelled necklace and earrings; holding gloves in her left hand

Oil [support and dimensions unknown]

Inscribed lower left: de László 1933

Juley PPJ-0058543 / 0058544  

Sitters’ Book II, opp. f. 77: Helena W. McCann Dec 19th 1933 / New York-

Private Collection

This portrait was painted in New York in 1933, one of six of Helena McCann made by de László. He presented the sitter with a portrait drawing [113359] as a token of his regard for her after the completion of the present portrait. A preparatory oil study [112556] and drawing [6395] for it remained in the artist’s studio until his death. Two study portraits were painted in London in 1936 [6390] [6393].

Helena McCann commissioned her portrait as a surprise Christmas present for her husband during the artist’s fifth visit to the United States. De László recalled their first meeting in his diary: “Had Tea with Mrs McCann – this most charming of woman[sic] with her young open face & [indistinct] figure – she decided for a portrait with hands & after looking through her gardrobe [sic, i.e. garde-robe, French for wardrobe] found a lovely dress of cherry red – well cut in which she looked delightful – it is a Xmas – surprise for her rather common husband & has to be finished by the 24 : for the Xmas evening – which will take place in that Long Island Count[r]y place – she also invited me to spend New Year with them.”^[1] 

Sittings began the next day: “During the whole day had the dear mrs McCann – she looked sweet in her deep red satin dress & was very lucky in finding a distinguished attitude for her – we I feel have sympathy in common & therefore I am sure will succeed in painting a good portrait of her – it is important.”^[2] Further sittings took place 16, 19, 20 and it was completed 21 December. De László wrote that it was “one of my very best – I loved to paint this young woman with white hair. In the afternoon did a drawing of Mrs McCann – which present her for Xmas. It shows her fine character – that she did not wanted [sic] to see the drawing before tomorrow Xmas evening – when my large unvarnished portrait will be presented to him – much hoping I will have a great success.”^[3] 

The artist was a guest at New Year’s Day luncheon at the McCanns, where the portrait was hung and admired.^[4] “The daughter & son in law – Mrs McCann they all admire it. He has no views but the last one [guest] makes a remark – he will listen too – a rough uncultivated man ruling over his most charming sympathetic wife. Her portrait gaves [sic] me such satisfaction – so wasted on this [sic] people – man like Mesmore [sic] – Duveen – who can talk to them – bluff them & selle [sic] mediocre old pictures for large sums. They want to be decieved [sic] no view of Their own.!”^[5] Also in attendance were Mr and Mrs Francis Garvan, whose portraits de László had painted in 1921 [5315] [5312].  

The art dealer Joseph Duveen’s lack of appreciation for the portrait caused difficulties for the artist. Mr McCann returned the portrait to de László’s studio in January 1934, it is not clear what if any alterations were made at this time. Charles McCann was still unsatisfied and wrote to ask if he could bring the portrait with them to London in 1936 for alterations:

“Dear Mr. de Laszlo: We expect to sail for England on the 30th of May on the Bremen, arriving in London on June 4th, and I am taking the privilege of writing you in advance as I feel it is due you, and due my wife. I had expected you to pay a visit to America before this. Relating to the portrait which you painted when you were in New York last, it is a source of great sorrow to me, and I know it would be to you, to have the portrait so poorly received by so many of our friends. In order that I might get an unbiased opinion  from one who is an expert and whose opinion is recognized all over the world on portraits, I asked Lord Duveen to come down to Long Island one weekend, and as a favor to me, after luncheon, he examined your portraits of the family. He liked the one of Mrs Betts very much; also the one of Mrs. Guest. He thought the one of myself passable, but he said the one of Mrs McCann was not in keeping with the best work that he had seen you do, and did not consider it a fair presentation of Mrs McCann, nor a fair presentation of your ability. He said that on his visit to London, he intended making it a point of seeing you and expressing his opinion. Lord Duveen, as we both know, is an entirely fearless critic and one who really knows portraits probably better than any of my friends. The question now comes up as to whether you feel that anything further can be done with this portrait of Mrs. McCann, or shall it have to be relegated to obscurity… It has hurt me as much to write this letter as no doubt it will hurt you to receive it. I realize that it is probably difficult to have every portrait a success, but I do know that you would not be pleased to hear the criticisms which I hear of the portrait. I know that you are a man capable of producing a portrait which would be universally received, and that is the spirit in which I am writing this letter.”^[6]

Such was de László’s regard for Helena McCann he wrote a reply of great equanimity in response to this attack on his abilities: “It is most unusual for me to touch my work again once it is finished, but I would be glad to make an exception in your case, remembering how happy our association has always been, when I have had the pleasure of painting the portraits of various members of your family. I would be very happy to know that you and your family are fully satisfied with the portrait. Please realize that this is my only reason for making an exception in this case – certainly not because of the outside criticism you mentioned.”^[7] The McCanns had Mrs McCann’s portrait shipped to London and they arrived in June. The portrait was received by art transporters Gander & White and delivered to de László’s studio at 3 Fitzjohn’s Avenue. It is not clear what, if any, changes the artist made to the present portrait but he painted two new study portraits of Mrs McCann [6390] [6393].

De László received $15,000 for the present portrait and that of Mr McCann [111414], although he was required to pay M. Knoedler & Co. $3000 for arranging the commission.”^[8] The artist charged his American clients more for their portraits to account for his losses in travel and expenses.

Helena Maud Woolworth was born 17 July 1878 in Watertown, New York, the daughter of Frank Winfield Woolworth (1854-1919), founder of Woolworths stores, and his wife Jennie Creighton (1853-1924). On 20 April 1904, she married Manhattan lawyer Charles Edward Francis McCann (1876-1941). There were four children of the marriage: Constance (born 1905), Frasier (born 1908), Gladys (born 1910) and Helena (born 1913).

After the death of her father in 1919 and her mother in 1924 she shared the $78 million estate with her sister and niece Barbara Hutton. She also served as a director of F. W. Woolworth Co. The McCanns maintained a town home in New York at 4 E. 80th Street, which had been built for them by Helena’s father, and a country home at Sunken Orchard, in Oyster Bay, Long Island. They also had a winter home at Gulf View Road in Palm Beach, Florida. In 1935 the McCanns bought Beauport, the Gloucester, Massachusetts home of the late Henry Davis Sleeper and their children, presented it to Historic New England in 1942 as a permanent memorial to their mother. It is now known as the Sleeper-McCann house. 

Helena McCann was a supporter of the Metropolitan Opera Company and the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Colonial Dames of America.

She died 15 March 1938 at her Manhattan home after a short illness.^[9] Her husband died in 1941.

The sitter was also painted by de László’s Hungarian contemporary Artur Lajos Halmi (1866-1939).^[10]

LITERATURE:

•Hart-Davis, Duff, in collaboration with Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, De László: His Life and Art, Yale University Press, 2010, p. 250

•DLA118-0171, letter from Charles McCann to de László, 1 May 1936

•DLA076-0186, letter from de László to Charles McCann, 21 May 1936

•László, Philip de, 1933-1934 diary, private collection, 14 December entry, p. 41; 15 December entry, p. 41; 16 December entry, p. 43; 19 December entry, p. 46; 20 December entry, p. 47; 21 December entry, p. 48; 22 December entry, p. 49; 24 December entry, p. 51; 1 January 1934 entry, p. 60-61; 10 January 1934, p. 72; 11 January 1934 entry, p. 74; 27 January 1934 entry, p. 89; 12 February 1934 entry, p. 105

MD & KF 2021