Gloria Vanderbilt

Hammer Galleries, New York

Harold Arlen, New York (acquired from the above in 1968)

Jerry Arlen, New York (acquired by descent from the above in 1986)

Rita Arlen, New York (acquired by descent from the above in 1988)

Acquired by descent from the above in 2023 by the present owner

New York, Hammer Galleries, Gloria Vanderbilt: Recent Collages and Paintings, May - June 1968, no. 13, p. 7, illustrated

A renowned actress, author and designer, Gloria Vanderbilt’s work within the visual arts is best categorized for its simplified forms and vibrant color palettes. Fine art held an influential presence throughout Vanderbilt’s life, as she was primarily raised by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, an artist herself and the founder of the Whitney Museum in New York City. Vanderbilt began her formal training at the Art Students League of New York and held her first exhibition in 1948. Her success across several artistic industries and prominent family lineage made her a sensational public figure.

Despite being hurried into adulthood at a young age, Vanderbilt described her artistic process as “seeing things with a child’s spontaneity,” evidenced by her whimsical style and unrestrained approaches to art-making (Quoted in “Art of Gloria Vanderbilt: Joy Born from Pain,” New York Times, February 1973, p. 142). Gloria Vanderbilt’s interest in the unusual within her oeuvre extends beyond formal elements, exemplified in Lizzie in Lavender by her unique choice in subject for the present portrait. The figure’s calm, restrained posture and facial expression are turned haunting by the presence of the menacing tinfoil ax, the sole element of the work that identifies her as the infamous Lizzie Borden. The yet unsolved Borden tale is a popular narrative that, even over a century later, weaves its way through popular culture as a form of modern folklore. Despite the ominous subject, the style of the portrait retains Vanderbilt’s playful, loose line work and fresh, vivid color palette.