3612

CUT DOWN

Jeannine Bridgeman 1928

Three-quarter length, three-quarter profile to the right, seated, wearing a blue party frock and matching ribbon in her hair, leaning against her mother, one hand on her lap

Oil on canvas, oval  91.5 x 78.8 cm (36 x 31 in.)

Inscribed lower left: Jeannine & Mrs Paul Bridgeman / 1928 de László   

Private Collection

This originally formed part of a larger canvas, started then abandoned, showing the present sitter’s mother, Mrs Paul Bridgeman, Jeannine, and Jill, the family Airedale. De László was unhappy with the original composition, as seen in two preparatory sketches [111409] & [3606]. According to a descendant of the sitter, since Mrs Bridgeman’s figure in particular seemed to be problematic, de László was going to discard the portrait altogether, but on an impulse, gave the present cut-down portrait of Jeannine Bridgeman, to her family.

Paul Bridgeman, the sitter’s father, wrote a grateful letter to de László: “I felt I never properly expressed our great appreciation of the really charming picture of Pishti which you brought here last night. When I looked at it again this morning I thought it was even more delightful as the little sprite is right on the canvas and will live with us always. I know what a terrific undertaking it must have been to you to portray her but to us it will be a perpetual joy!”^[1]

De László went on to complete a successful double portrait of Jeannine and her mother in that same year [3603].

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [3603].

LITERATURE:

•DLA057-0078, letter from Paul Bridgeman to de László, 11 January 1930

•DLA057-0079, letter from Paul Bridgeman to de László, 7 September 1928

CC 2008