Portrait of My Aunt, Caroline Walter Neustadter, 1928
Florine Stettheimer
American, 1871–1944
Oil on canvas

"Before her death in 1944, Florine Stettheimer requested that all her paintings be destroyed. Fortunately, her family did not heed her wishes. Painted from memory, this portrait depicts Stettheimer’s beloved aunt who had passed away 16 years earlier. The pastel-colored setting, fanciful details, and flourishes incised into the heavy impasto (thick paint) enliven this memorial portrait. Stettheimer’s style has been regarded as naïve-looking yet sophisticated. It inspired comparisons to folk art, which was celebrated by many modern artists in the early 1900s."

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