Object Details
Artist
Marius de Zayas, 1880 - 1961
Sitter
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer, 2 Jan 1887 - 1 Sep 1970
Exhibition Label
An interview with the art impresario Alfred Stieglitz piqued Agnes Ernst Meyer’s interest in European modernism and prompted her to leave her job at the New York Sun, where she had served as the newspaper’s first female reporter. She traveled to Paris in 1908 to study the latest art trends, and upon her return to New York City sixteen months later, she became a member of Stieglitz’s modernist circle, which also included the artist Marius de Zayas.
Meyer worked with de Zayas to establish the Modern Gallery and the avant-garde arts journal 291, named after Stieglitz’s renowned gallery. She also encouraged de Zayas to experiment with abstract portraiture, which was inspired by the Cubist break with optical reality. In this depiction, oval forms suggest Meyer’s facial features, while curving lines allude to her body. De Zayas often portrayed Stieglitz and members of his circle, including painter John Marin and photographer Paul Haviland.
Una entrevista con el promotor de arte Alfred Stieglitz despertó el interés de Agnes Ernst Meyer en el arte moderno europeo y la impulsó a dejar su puesto en el New York Sun, donde había sido la primera mujer reportera. Viajó a París en 1908 para estudiar las últimas tendencias artísticas, y al regresar a Nueva York 16 meses después se incorporó al círculo moderno de Stieglitz, donde participaba el artista Marius de Zayas.
Meyer colaboró con De Zayas en la creacíon de la Modern Gallery y la revista de vanguardia 291, cuyo nombre aludía a la famosa galería de Stieglitz. Meyer también alentó a De Zayas a experimentar con el retrato abstracto, inspirado en la ruptura de la realidad óptica efectuada por los cubistas. Las formas ovaladas de esta obra sugieren las facciones de Meyer, mientras las líneas curvas sugieren su cuerpo. De Zayas retrataba con frecuencia a Stieglitz y su círculo, incluidos el pintor John Marin y el fotógrafo Paul Haviland.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Anne Meyer
Date
c. 1912-13
Object number
NPG.99.98
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Estate of Marius De Zayas
Type
Drawing
Medium
Charcoal over graphite on yellow paper
Dimensions
Image: 60.8 × 39.4 cm (23 15/16 × 15 1/2")
Sheet: 61.8 × 47 cm (24 5/16 × 18 1/2")
Frame: 84.5 × 64.8 × 5.1 cm (33 1/4 × 25 1/2 × 2")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Caricature
Abstract
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Female
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Social reformer
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Arts and Culture\Journalism and Media\Journalist
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Arts and Culture\Patron of the arts
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Arts and Culture\Journalism and Media\Journalist\Reporter
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Social Welfare and Reform\Philanthropist
Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Political activist
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.99.98