George Gershwin
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Artist
- Arthur Kaufmann, 7 Jul 1888 - 25 Sep 1971
- Sitter
- George Gershwin, 26 Sep 1898 - 11 Jul 1937
- Exhibition Label
- Born New York City
- In the early decades of the twentieth century, when waves of immigration and explosive urban growth transformed the face of America, George Gershwin emerged as a transcendent voice of modernism. His staccato-paced, syncopated rhythms helped define the Jazz Age on Broadway in the 1920s in such shows as Lady Be Good and Girl Crazy. At the height of the Great Depression, his “folk opera” Porgy and Bess attempted to catch the clash and blends of cultural “interfusions” that he saw as distinctively American. And he was part of the Hollywood scene during the golden age of the silver screen, notably completing—with his lyricist brother Ira—the score for The Goldwyn Follies just before his death in 1937, at age thirty-nine. Gershwin had become a centrifugal force in the lively arts in years marked by a search for a modern American identity.
- Provenance
- The artist; Edward Wormley [1907-1995]; Mrs. Ben Aronson, New York; purchased 1973 NPG
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
- 1936
- Object number
- NPG.73.8
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Stretcher: 92.1 x 62.2 x 2.5cm (36 1/4 x 24 1/2 x 1")
- Frame: 114.3 x 84.5 x 8.9cm (45 x 33 1/4 x 3 1/2")
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Exhibition
- Bravo!
- On View
- NPG, South Gallery 321 Mezzanine
- National Portrait Gallery
- Topic
- Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie
- George Gershwin: Male
- George Gershwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer
- George Gershwin: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist
- George Gershwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Songwriter
- George Gershwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist
- George Gershwin: Congressional Gold Medal
- Portrait
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.73.8
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4623bff04-5998-4b6c-8f66-e0218b8ec34a
Related Content
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.