Portrait of a Lady

Possibly Warde family in England.{1} H.J. [Henry James] Spiller, picture framemaker [ d. 1966]; (John Mitchell, London); {2} Percy C. Pyne, II [1882-1950], Rivington House, Roslyn, New York; (Newhouse Galleries, New York, New York); {3} Mr. John G. Rauch [1890-1976], Indianapolis, Indiana; {4} given by Mr. and Mrs. John G. Rauch to the John Herron Art Institute, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, in 1967 {1} The information that Spiller obtained the painting directly from the Warde family is contained in an attestation given by John Mitchell, undated, in IMA Historical File (67.23), but more recently the identity of the sitter has been questioned, and therefore, perhaps its provenance should also be. {2} This same attestion by Mitchell says that "we sold [this painting] to a prominent American collector…[and] we secured the picture from H.J. Spiller, the famous framer who has done much work for Their Majesties." {3} A letter from Newhouse Galleries to the IMA, dated January 1970, states that it "was acquired by us from the distinguished collection of Percy R. Pyne of Roslyn, New York" and identifies Pyne as having had a collection of English paintings which he was forced to sell during the Depression. It goes on to state that Newhouse Galleries acted as his agent in the disposition of these paintings. {4} John G. Rauch was a prominent Indianapolis lawyer and civic leader, who gave many works of art to the Indianapolis Museum of Art beginning in the 1940s until his death.