- 12
Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A.
Description
- Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A.
- Edna May in the belle of new york
- signed and titled l.l.: EDNA MAY / IN "THE BELLE OF NEW YORK"/ J. Lavery; also signed, dated and inscribed on the reverse: MISS EDNA MAY/ AS THE BELLE OF NEW YORK/ JOHN LAVERY/ 5 CROMWELL PLACE/ LONDON/ 1907
- oil on canvas
- 77 by 64cm.; 30¼ by 25¼in.
Provenance
Sale, Christie's London, 10 May 1974, lot 231, where acquired by Stone Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Exhibited
Literature
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This is the story of a Salvation Army girl who finds that she is about to be named as the sole beneficiary of Ichabod Bronson, a wealthy man whose spendthrift son, Harry, she has 'saved'. In order to restore the fortune to its rightful heir she must persuade the elder Bronson that she is less devout than she seems, and she does so by singing a 'sinful' song about the Folies Bergère in his hearing. By this time, and with his inheritance restored, Violet and Harry have fallen in love and the play ends happily. With its theme of wealth encountering the higher values of Christianity, represented by a Salvation Army convert, The Belle of New York is likely to have provided the inspiration for Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara (1905).
Although well received, The Belle of New York ran for only 64 performances at the Casino Theatre, and it was only when it transferred from New York to the Shaftesbury Theatre in London that it became a runaway success. Edna May experienced the rapturous applause that brought her instant stardom and in her black tunic and red bonnet, she played to full houses for almost two years. Thereafter her reputation grew on both sides of the Atlantic. When, in 1907, with her impending marriage to the New York millionaire 'Copper King', Oscar Lewisohn, she announced her retirement, young male devotees apparently unhitched the horses from her carriage and pulled it from the Aldwych Theatre to the Ritz Hotel, where she was dining. The Lewisohns then settled into the social round, living at Cranborne Court in Berkshire. Edna made a number of brief returns to the stage for benefit performances and like Hazel Lavery, appeared in war charity Masques. At this point William Orpen painted her portrait which was offered in these rooms, 13 May 2004, lot 63 (see fig. 2).
Lewisohn died in 1917 leaving Edna a substantial fortune of $5,000,000. Lavery however, represents her in happier days as the virtuous young heroine wearing the costume that she had made famous in postcards and song sheets. With downcast eyes, she adopts the demure expression that her part demanded. Two other portraits of Edna May are recorded – one a large full-length, the other, Edna May in Black, in which she is shown looking over her left shoulder. Both remain unlocated. For the painter, her crimped hair and fine oval face, so much admired, may well have recalled Mary Auras, his most celebrated model prior to the arrival in 1909, of his second wife, Hazel.
Kenneth McConkey