“Kahlo Article Rev v14no3 (1).PDF”

T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T SThis article from IFAR® Journal, Vol. 14, no. 3 is being distributed by Salomon Grimberg, Jane C. H. Jacob, and Laurent Sozzani with the permission of the International Foundation for Art Research and cannot be posted or reprinted elsewhere without the permission of IFAR. TWO FRIDA KAHLO PORTRAITS: ONE FOUND, ONE CONFIRMED SALOMON GRIMBERG, JANE C. H. JACOB, AND LAURENT SOZZANI * In August of 1929, after Frida Kahlo painted the Portrait of Miriam Penansky, she dutifully had it photographed and, after inscribing on the verso the name “Salomón Hale,” filed it in her photographic archive (FIG. 1) . Twenty-one years later, on October 8, 1950, Kahlo referred to the portrait during an interview when she spoke of the works FIGURE 1. Photograph of the she had painted shortly Portrait of Miriam Penansky taken after marrying Diego Rivera by Frida Kahlo in 1929. in 1929: “I began to make paintings with backgrounds and Mexican things in them; I painted the portraits of [Salomón] Hale’s sister [in-law], of Guadalupe Marin and the one of *Salomon Grimberg, M.D. is a child psychiatrist in private practice in Dallas, Texas. He writes on various aspects of the creative process and has authored several monographs on Frida Kahlo. He is co-author of Frida Kahlo, das Gesamtwerk (1988), the catalogue raisonné of Kahlo's complete works. He is currently working on the authorized catalogue raisonné of the paintings of Leonora Carrington. *Jane C. H. Jacob, M.S. is an art historian and President of Jacob Fine Art, Inc. in Chicago, a consulting firm specializing in provenance research and issues of attribution. She serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including The Appraisal Foundation in Washington. She is on the adjunct faculty of New York University SCPS. Jacob Fine Art has been working with the current owners of the Portrait of Miriam Penansky discussed in this article to verify its provenance and coordinate its conservation and display. *Laurent Sozzani, M.S., is a conservator of Old Master, modern and contemporary paintings in private practice in Amsterdam. From 1990-2012, he was a full-time paintings restorer at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The authors owe a debt of gratitude to Roberto (“Beto”) Eduardo Hale; Mariana Amor, Director of the Galería de Arte Mexicano; MaryAnne Martin, Director of Mary-Anne Martin/Fine Art; and Dr. Helga Prignitz-Poda for their invaluable help in writing this article. 22 I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . 1 4 , N O . 3 © 2013 Diego, which I did not finish. These three paintings; who knows where they are?”1 The whereabouts of all three paintings remained unknown for another sixty years, but, as will be discussed below, we believe that one — the Portrait of Miriam Penansky (FIG. 2) — has now been found, and in the process, the authenticity of another previously disputed work, her Portrait of a Woman in White (FIG. 3), has been confirmed. The discovery and documentation of a lost or previously unknown work by a major artist is an extraordinary event; it not only expands the artist’s oeuvre, it can provide insight into the artist’s life, preoccupations, influences, artistic and social circles, and, of course, how she captured the zeitgeist, or spirit of the time. Equally important, it informs our understanding of her creative process and may also shed light on other works whose attribution until then may have been considered problematic, as in the case under discussion. Needless to say, it can also have an effect on the artist’s market; for documentation can make or break a sale, and the commercial value of a well-documented work will be increased to an astonishing degree. In the case of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (19071954), whose rediscovery as a painter goes back only some thirty years to Hayden Herrera’s 1983 1 During 1949–50, psychologist Olga Campos interviewed Kahlo for a book she was preparing on the creative process, which was never published. A part of the interview, first published in 2008, consisted of Kahlo telling the story of how she became a painter. This quote is from that interview. See Salomon Grimberg, Frida Kahlo Song of Herself (London: Merrell Publishers Limited, 2008), p. 75. The Portrait of Lupe Marin, 1929 was always in Marin’s collection but, according to her grandson Pedro Diego Alvarado, “She cut it up with scissors” after a quarrel with Kahlo. Personal communication with Salomon Grimberg. Oil on canvas. / Artists Rights Society (ARS). shown after cleaning and restoration. © 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. “Finding Frida Kahlo: Controversy Calls into Question the Authenticity of the Renowned Artist’s Work. and her volatile marriage to philanderer Diego Rivera. FIGURE 3. 119 x 81 cm (47 x 32 inches). increasingly. Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo (New York: Harper & Row. 1983). The Frida Kahlo Museum in Baden-Baden was created just to house a permanent collection of replicas of her paintings. a new Frida fake will come through the door. this is particularly significant. D. As this phenomenon grows. while a factory in Vietnam produces an oil painting copy of any work by Kahlo for a mere thirty dollars. p. have done little to open the eyes of those who cling to the belief that what is in front of them is the genuine item. “Imágen de Frida Kahlo. Authenticity of the Renowned Artist’s Work” in the IFAR Journal. 1951. pp. These works are often accompanied by a “certificate of authenticity” provided by persons and/or institutions with no real knowledge of the artist. “México en la cultura. 1929. Vol.2 The uncovering of her life and art has brought with it a hunger for her work that is difficult to explain. and possibly the most popular. FRIDA KAHLO. Portrait of Miriam Penansky. As the demand to satiate this hunger increases. 4 Kahlo to Gisèle Freund. her narcissistic self-absorption. at any moment. Private Collection. 18–25. brought in by someone who unquestioningly believes it to be an original. such as Jason Edward Kaufman’s “Finding Frida Kahlo: Controversy Calls into Question the 2 The publication that broke ground is Hayden Herrera. her autobiographical art. nos. whom she dramatically referred to as her “second accident. Her operatic life: from her exotic looks and the accident that nearly killed her in adolescence.F. Berlin. which 3 Jason Edward Kaufman. 3 & 4 (2010). FRIDA KAHLO. 1929. 11.” 4 make her a magnet for the curious.” Novedades (Mexico City). Woman in White. 60 x 47 cm (24 x 18 inches). so does the production of fakes — seemingly by the day. Private Collection. in Gisèle Freund. I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . it has become natural for dealers in Latin American art and auction house specialists to assume that. Supplement.” IFAR Journal. people are eager to trust these documents. New York. the many love affairs. Even educated essays on the controversial subject. 3 © 2013 23 .T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S FIGURE 2. Yet. to her more than thirty surgeries.” June 10. Added to these. Oil biography. 1. 1 4 . on canvas. making things more difficult for the art world and scholarship. her abortions. N O .3 FRIDA Kahlo’s status as a cult figure and a phenomenon makes her among the most famous artists of the twentieth century. Mexico. she is referred to as “the heroine of pain. But by then.7 One of the benefits of preparing the catalogue raisonné some thirty years after Kahlo’s death was that many persons who had known Kahlo were still living and could provide valuable information on the whereabouts of works. changed the name. Both art and artist have crossed over from being labeled Mexican to Surrealist to Modernist. of which 146 are paintings.” July 17. 1955. without any documentation to support its authenticity. even though there was no known list by Kahlo of the works she had produced. Cat. and five were then unknown. The work had actually surfaced briefly in 2006 when the current owners of the Portrait had shown a photograph of the work to a specialist whose name they could not recall. “Frida Kahlo: heroína del dolor. some owned works. believing it sounded disrespectful. The Portrait of Miriam Penansky was among the five works that were unknown to the authors of the catalogue raisonné (Helga Prignitz-Poda. In 2008. New York and were told that the work. has yet to be opened to the public. out of the blue. 1. a request was received by one of the authors of the catalogue raisonné8 to confirm its authenticity. the Museum Director. President of the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Trust. 1954 (Kahlo’s last painting) Cat.” in Biarritz. A recent Mexican exhibition. was advertised throughout the city with banners sporting a Kahlo self-portrait. c. c. Salomon Grimberg. Portrait of a Woman in Polka Dotted Dress. Known and previously documented works considered lost that have surfaced are: Portrait of a Girl with Necklace. and Self-Portrait in a Sunflower.1929.” The word stuck and continues to be used. held at the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City.” but Mrs. 2012. As the demand to satiate this hunger increases.” 6 5 Antonio Rodríguez. Mexicans refer to this phenomenon as “Fridamania. “México en la cultura.” Kahlo is idolized by anyone who has felt abandoned or rejected. “In Praise of the Body. Self-Portrait with Bonito. Her personal archive.1929. Congress of the People for Peace. That encompasses a lot of people. so does the production of fakes — seemingly by the day. 1928. at Sotheby’s Latin American Painting Department. the catalogue raisonné of Kahlo’s work published in 1988. N O . the Arken Museum in Copenhagen. 1 4 . and Self-Portrait (miniature). 4. Others knew names of collectors or ex-collectors. Blanca Garduño Pulido.” 5 People who know nothing about art and have no interest in it know her paintings and the details of her life. Dolores Olmedo. Frida Kahlo das Gesamtwerk (Frankfurt am Main: Verlag Neue Kritik. Supplement. by the neglected and the outsider. pp. Anything Kahlo might have touched is akin to a sliver from the True Cross. 1988). The unknown paintings that have surfaced are: Still Life. 1938. four had been documented in the publication but were recorded as lost. 1925 (Kahlo’s first painting). mentioned above. and the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. documents 271 works. Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arias. In Mexico. “Pasión por Frida. had already titled her text in the catalog “In Search of Fridamania.” which originally was to be called “Fridamania. all in private collections. museum exhibitions devoted to Kahlo’s work were organized at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. is mesmerizing.1941. “The uncovering of [Kahlo’s] life and art has brought with it a hunger for her work that is difficult to explain. . surfaced. in 7 Helga Prignitz-Poda. while a second Kahlo self-portrait graced the cover of the catalogue. was. Salomon Grimberg. and the Detroit Institute of Arts has plans for a show on the year that Kahlo and Rivera spent in that city.1952. Portrait of Miriam Penansky. by feminists. the interview of October 1950. by those who struggle with their sense of self.” Novedades (Mexico City). Cat 131. Of the nine paintings that have surfaced since its publication. Andrea Kettenmann). 24 I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . 3 © 2013 Frida Kahlo das Gesamtwerk. Upcoming is a major retrospective at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome. and some who had once owned works were able to provide information that led us to the new owners. 144. 80. The closest thing to a list by Kahlo. it provided a windfall of new information about lost and unknown works. 1929. Cat. 15. 6 The term was coined in 1991 when the Museo Estudio Diego Rivera opened an exhibition. by the handicapped. until July 12. This helped make a relatively comprehensive document. discounting countless commercial gallery shows that include personal memorabilia and photographs.T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S illustrates many of these events and consolidates her iconic image. twenty years after the publication of the catalogue raisonné. the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. In 2012 and 2013 alone. when. Andrea Kettenmann. 1908. … He was among the few who acquired foreign art. in 1897. Salomón Hale was born in Lipno.9 Her older sister. Guerrero Galván. 10 That Miriam Penansky had no intention of staying when she initially traveled to Mexico is suggested by the 1930 U. He was an active member of the Mexican Jewish community. married Salomón Hale of Mexico City. … Aside from what I sold him. Director of the prestigious Galería de Arte Mexicano. c. whom he was unable to save. resolving their immigration status and getting them established in Mexico. Mexico City). her grandnephew. His daughter Rosalee held a master’s degree in Art History. active supporter of the foundation of the State of Israel and founder of Lion’s Club. “The Portrait of Miriam Penansky was among the five works that were unknown to the authors of the catalogue raisonné (Helga Prignitz-Poda. which lists her as a stepdaughter and member of the household of Morris Bromberg. staying in the Hale household. Minister of Agriculture under [President] Cárdenas. his son Charles was among those responsible for the eradication of polio in Mexico. Thanks to his membership in the Rotary Club. from cerebral edema. and their first child. no paper trail was left behind. At the time of her death. with a small office on Uruguay street [who] had an extraordinary endowment to perceive art in its best phases. until July 12. He also helped nonfamily members. founder of the B’nai B’rith. he was reputedly the first foreign collector of Modern Mexican Art. leather importer. died November 26. for generously opening his family archives and sharing with us vital family history. of which he was President. Miriam. her mother married Morris Bromberg. including the photograph of his great aunt that confirms the identity of the sitter. Leopoldo Méndez and others. At the time. México. consequence of a brain tumor. I knew he 11 Beto Hale: “He brought all his relatives out of Europe (but one sister. and Tamayo. in Mexico City. Inés Amor. immigrated to Mexico as a young man. Mexico. Salomón Hale. who in 1989 bequeathed it to her daughter.MIRIAM PENANSKY Miriam Penansky. of Joliet. Marsha H. was the youngest child of Polish immigrants. her portrait by Kahlo went to her youngest maternal aunt. . which helped identify the sitter. the first modern art gallery in Mexico. d. Rosalee. 1 4 . Siqueiros. not genuine. ” I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . His son Eduardo [father of Roberto] was a well-known copyright lawyer. Census. N O .11 Within the context of this article. Anna (b. remembered Hale in her Memorias as an early collector with an uncanny eye for quality: It was surprising to me to find in those early times two sympathizing voices. Miriam traveled to Mexico. México. The opinion was given by telephone. which shows that he was a man well prepared to understand. Not only was he dedicated to his business. Chicago. and to collecting. Poland. but also regularly attended conferences that dealt with history.” Jewish community. was born in 1929. IL. September 1904. He was often guest at events by Presidents Manuel Avila Camacho and Miguel Alemán Velasco. and quickly became an active member and a welcome presence in the Mexican 8 Salomon Grimberg. a request was received by one of the authors of the catalogue to confirm its authenticity. from whom the present owners inherited it. That year. 3 © 2013 25 T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S their opinion. who never married. Andrea Kettenmann). 1944. Thelma Jacobson Schwartz. he also had magnificent things by Zalce. Orozco. Eva Ginzburg and Charles Penansky (FIG. … The only other man in 1935 who visited the Gallery to buy was a Polish immigrant who had been living years in Mexico. provided by Roberto (Beto) Eduardo Hale. He owned a magnificent cubist oil by Picasso. and graphics by French artists. [One was] Engineer Marte R. a musician and composer. she moved there permanently and taught at Mexico’s Music Conservatory. out of the blue.S. FIGURE 4. the sole grandchild and heir of Salomón Hale and great-nephew of Miriam Penansky. a painting by Miró. at age 36. Photograph of Miriam Penansky. when. Schwartz. saving them from the Holocaust. in Chicago. 1979. and politics. 4). where she is interred in the Jewish Cemetery. He came to like Gerzso and Mérida. who was arrested and murdered by the Nazis). Gómez. medicine. But the strength of his collection was paintings by Diego. 2012. his family. After her father’s death in 1920. this information was unbeknownst to the authors of the catalogue raisonné. 9 We are deeply indebted to Roberto Eduardo (“Beto”) Hale.10 Eventually. Salomon Grimberg. born November 22. where. 15 This portrait came to light in 1990 following the death of Gómez Arias. 26 I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L .F. had been removed. next to the portrait sans signature and date. 1928. Mexico. 1929 (FIG. for comparison. Mexico.S. 74. / Artists New York for $33. 5). 2). and the Self-Portrait. 1 4 . Although her 12 Jorge Alberto Manrique Teresa del Conde. S. Song of Herself. In the latter. She is even relying on characteristic poses Rivera had used many times before: “I painted two or three things. 13 Grimberg. …12 Kahlo’s own recollection of Hale was of his finetuned eye when he acquired a painting she had given to her older sister. FRIDA KAHLO. through his heirs.5 x 41 cm (24 x 16 inches). N O . 61.14 STYLISTIC ANALYSIS Hale introduced his sister-in-law. it was unsigned and undated. Self-Portrait. In the portraits painted in 1929 and 1930. p. she surprises by introducing or juxtaposing unexpected elements to make a statement. 1930 (FIG. FRIDA KAHLO.”13 When the work was bought by Hale at the flea market. Frida Kahlo Song of Herself. See Grimberg. New York. 1928.F. Kahlo recalled: “The portrait of Rosita that Mati [Matilde] sold to an old clothes dealer. Kahlo had been painting only four years (since 1925) when she painted the Penansky portrait. c. and others. It would be another three years (1932) before she reached the characteristic freedom of her mature work. although her painting is significantly better and more natural than in the Gómez Arias portrait of 1928. with Kahlo’s Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arias. Mexico. in which she described the painting.1929. in her compositions. the original signature and date. in which her boyfriend Alejandro’s suit appears to be made of stiff cardboard. It is worth comparing the Portrait of Miriam Penansky.Sculpture . Private Collection. D. 1930. pp. to Frida Kahlo within one year of Miriam’s move to Mexico. Kahlo is still cautious. Grimberg. Matilde. 65 x 54 cm (25 ½ x 23 ¼ inches). too. lot 10. May 7. Oil on which Hale had paid panel. 3 © 2013 FIGURE 6. Kahlo painted her portrait shortly thereafter. Kahlo still seemed far from achieving that freedom. 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. listed as Seated Girl with Duck. D. Portrait In 1981. Una mujer en el arte mexicano.Drawings . 6) — two paintings produced a year earlier and a year later. sold in Museums Trust. Mr. respectively. 1981. Oil on canvas. talent was already evident. the work for of Alejandro Gómez Arias. 236-37 (Translation. and she was still learning her craft. 1987). 192815 (FIG.). New York. which are around the house. Hale found in the Lagunilla flea market and bought for 8 pesos. Private Collection. and he. Miriam.Prints. is reproduced in Das Gesamtwerk on page 90. / Artists Rights Society (ARS). that to me seem very influenced 14 Sotheby’s 19th and 20th Century Paintings .000 Rights Society (ARS).T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S bought directly from various artists such as María Izquierdo. seems cut out and pasted in rather than integrated into the background. New York (with premium). Critic Raquel Tibol declared it an unequivocal fake but thanks to the Kahlo interview by Olga Campos. made shortly after it was painted. A photograph of the signed and dated painting. FIGURE 5. Boston. Memorias de Inés Amor (México: Universidad Autonoma de México. currency.) . its authenticity was confirmed. 73 and 81 (ill. Tamayo. 2013 Banco roughly 64 cents in de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo U. p. a critic who had known Kahlo. Lola Álvarez Bravo. In the Self-Portrait. © 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. 7-9). Time Flies. In both portraits. 1929. Time Flies of that year (FIG. 1 4 . in all three portraits (1928-30). / Artists Rights Society (ARS).F. the unfinished work belonged to Kahlo’s friend. 77.F. with a precise. in both portraits. thin white line left between the suspended pupil and the lower lid (FIGS. 10) . it is difficult to say how Kahlo might have intended to complete the work. Detail. execution. airplane and clock creating the pun “Time Flies. despite its authenticity having been rejected by Raquel Tibol. Mexico.5 x 61 cm (30 ½ x 24 inches). Detail. such as the careful contrasts between the dark brown pupils and the perfectly white sclera of the eyes. she carries over “fingerprint” constants. I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . Detail. the emphatic black eyebrows she uses to frame the eyes. Mexico’s pre-eminent woman photographer.16 Yet. 3 © 2013 27 T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S immediate attention already speak of her rapidly evolving style.FIGURE 7. Time Flies suggested both paintings could have been painted during the same period. whose son was selling it for her. D. / Artists Rights Society (ARS). and the jet-black hair that contrasts with the light skinned faces to draw the viewer’s 16 Grimberg. . Tibol wrote.17 When the catalogue raisonné authors first saw it in the 1980s while preparing the catalogue. New York. FIGURE 8. and emotional content to Self-Portrait. bringing the viewer into direct and Although neither of the better-known portraits was available for technical comparison with the new-found portrait of Miriam Penansky. 3). to number 19. Mexico. instant involvement. Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arias. Portrait of a Lady D. In all three portraits.1929 because of its similarity to Kahlo’s SelfPortrait. / Artists Rights Society (ARS).F. is a window open to a clear blue sky and a wrought iron balcony between two heavy curtains tied with thick ropes.” she explained. 1928. Portrait of Miriam Penansky. “In the catalogue of the genuine [works]. Song of Herself.” As Portrait of a Woman in White is unfinished. p. 74. we did have the unfinished Portrait of a Woman in White available for comparative study (FIG. I am referring Oil on masonite. it was included in the catalogue because all three catalogue raisonné authors were certain it was right. Self-Portrait. 1930. Behind each sitter. Anthony Bryan Collection. Although the painting was essentially unknown. 18 in White …”. In a review of the catalogue raisonné. details that would likely escape a forger. It is dated c.” as can be seen in the catalogue raisonné of her work. one [fake] slipped through. N O . 1929. Mexico. FIGURE 10. New York. There were more than “two or three things. in the center of the canvas. by him. D. the sitter is portrayed in a frontal pose. FRIDA KAHLO. FIGURE 9. © 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. © 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. New York. Kahlo has an airplane flying overhead and to her left a Solomonic column where an alarm clock rests. 17 The Portrait of a Woman in White’s close resemblance in composition. 2005).”19 FIGURE 11. N O . D. 1 4 . the year after Kahlo’s death. the new Director of the Galería de Arte Mexicano. 11A and B). I also believe it is not [a genuine] Frida. on 5 April. so that once and for all any doubt about either work could be discarded (FIGS. Portrait of Miriam kept in a very polPenansky. 1989. she lent the last two to Frida Kahlo. 1937. 1936. Rivera called LAB to prepare Kahlo’s body and to take her official postmortem photographic portraits. When Kahlo died. there remained the gnawing questions: why did Lola Álvarez Bravo not exhibit it? Or did she? At 77 years of age. A (left). read. respectively. shown partially cleaned and luted environment for prior to restoration. Detail. the two works are documented as no. dark dirt layer indicating it had been FIGURE 12. Facultad Arquitectura.T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S Although the catalogue raisonné authors believed in the work. Information gleaned from the restoration of the two works allowed close comparison. was attempting to sell it. Frida Kahlo en su luz más íntima (México. which confirmed our belief in the authenticity of both works. the year before her death. Portrait. she could not remember if she had. Detail of Figure 3. 3 © 2013 It was interesting for the purpose of this study to compare the Woman in White with the Penansky portrait. . warp count 13–14 cm. the authors agreed that if she did not exhibit it. of a collective show in the gallery where three paintings by Kahlo hang on the left wall: My Nurse and I. 1937. Woman in White was restored in New York in 1989 and the Penansky portrait in 2013 in Amsterdam. LAB acknowledged as much. My Parents and I. and a page from Kahlo’s Diary. 026. Kahlo’s last exhibition. acompañada de siete pintoras. LAB owned a gallery where Kahlo’s paintings were for sale. Mariana Amor. 1955. The Penansky portrait is on a cotton duck canvas support with a Panama weave that has a double warp and double twisted weft threads. When interviewed by the authors of the catalogue raisonné. In the catalogue.” LAB had been close with Kahlo and Rivera since the early days of their marriage. 5. a photograph from 1937. The portrait first came to our attention when Lola Álvarez Bravo (LAB). 12). Museo de la Ciudad Universitaria. brought to their attention a catalogue. from a collective exhibition presented at Mexico’s Universidad Autónoma de México in 1955. was held there. indeed. The catalogue checklist. but also similar “fingerprint” details. “No. 1937. weft count 9–10. See in Lola Álvarez Bravo and the Photography of an Era (México: CONACULTA. and both were cleaned to remove only superficial dirt and grime (FIG. the photographer replied: “I never had that painting in my house. 18 Raquel Tibol. 2012). A year after the catalogue raisonné was published.F. pp. 11B (right). However. 252–56. The comparison proved fruitful. LAB owned 28 I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . the Portrait of a Woman in White. a Self-Portrait Drawing. Lola Álvarez Bravo. c. and Me and My Doll. Lumen. the ink and watercolor Señor Coyote. My Grandparents. obviously unknown to them. some time. Miriam was covered with an exceptionally thick. Neither painting had ever been varnished. 1953. Woman in White. In 1967. In her review. the authors received a welcome surprise that confirmed their belief in the Woman in White’s authenticity and that it had. Portrait of Miriam Penansky. 2 and no. I never photographed it and from the photographs I have seen. In 1929. 32. 19 See: Homenaje a 5 pintores mexicanos desaparecidos. it was likely because it was unfinished. and make her ready for viewing in an open casket at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. she began photographing Kahlo’s paintings and continued to do so until 1952. oil on canvas. In the 1930s. as we were not only able to discover technical similarities shared by both portraits. In the end. Tibol also wrote that when she called LAB to inquire about the Portrait. 1929. and there was apparently no record of the painting ever having existed. At the time. for which Diego Rivera wrote the introduction. an exhibition in Mexico City’s Museo de Arte Moderno. files of her defunct gallery were lost. Col. belonged to Lola Álvarez Bravo.. p. The left tacking edge of the canvas is selvedge. stretched and tacked onto a three works by Kahlo. in 1932. indeed. the new Director of the Galería de Arte Mexicano. and both were cleaned to remove only superficial dirt and grime (FIG. Museo de la three works by Kahlo. pp. all upper cas Kahlo’s signature varied over her given name was spelled F German. 1926 as w Portrait of Rosita. 32. FIGURE 11. respectively.”19 Ciudad Universitaria. Portrait of Miriam Penansky. p. a photograph from 1937. t In her Self-Portrait. 1937. obviously unknown to them. the authors received a welcome surprise that confirmed their belief in the Woman in White’s authenticity and that it had. Portrait of Miriam kept in a very polPenansky. Detail. Even though Wo on a modern stretcher. and Me and My Doll. shown partially cleaned and luted environment for prior to restoration. D. the two works are documented as no. 12). I also believe it is not [a genuine] Frida. as Hitler was comin upper left. . 3 © 2013 Lumen. Tibol also wrote that when she called LAB to inquire about the Portrait. In 1929. on 5 April. she began photographing Kahlo’s paintings and continued to do so until 1952. dark dirt layer indicating it had been FIGURE 12. and t Salvadora and Herminia. The catalogue checklist. of ground left unpainted. The portrait first came to our attention when Lola Álvarez Bravo (LAB). warp count 13–14 cm. A year after the catalogue raisonné was published. whi neither signed nor dated.” (FIG. My Grandparents. However. is signed “Frida Ka verso. she signed the Self-Po Borderline “CARMEN RIVER middle name to distract from ancestry. Some Kahlo” or “Frida Kahlo” eith ters or in handwriting. “No. I never photographed it and from the photographs I have seen. 1953. Detail of the signature on warp threads near each of the cating it is from a different so sky canvas. Mariana Amor. 026. Col. the year before her death.” LAB had been close with Kahlo and Rivera since the early days of their marriage. When interviewed by the authors of the catalogue raisonné. 1989. Kahlo’s last exhibition. In the catalogue. an exhibition in Mexico City’s Museo de Arte Moderno. 2 and no. 1936. N O . Once. Rivera called LAB to prepare Kahlo’s body and to take her official postmortem photographic portraits. The is signed and dated. Neither painting had ever been varnished. the year after Kahlo’s death. LAB owned 18 Raquel Tibol. if she did not exhibit it. it was likely because it was unfinished. acompañada de siete pintoras.T 28 I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . details. 1929. 252–56. Althou Frieda to sign her youthful let written immediately after her Rivera. The left tacking edge of the canvas is selvedge. painted and 1928. and a page from Kahlo’s Diary. 2012). cracks that it was originally on a stre to the Penansky portrait. Woman in White. was attempting to sell it. of a collective show in the gallery where three paintings by Kahlo hang on the left wall: My Nurse and I. weft count 9–10. 1937. she lent the last two to Frida Kahlo. read. 1 4 . c. Ho trait of Alicia Galant. Frida Kahlo en su luz más íntima (México. for which Diego Rivera wrote the introduction. The Penansky portrait is on a cotton duck canvas support with a Panama weave that has a double warp and double twisted weft threads. a Self-Portrait Drawing. LAB owned a gallery where Kahlo’s paintings were for sale. When Kahlo died. 1955. 13). In 1967. 5. the ink and watercolor Señor Coyote. 19 See: Homenaje a 5 pintores mexicanos desaparecidos. she dropped Frieda fr ings beginning in 1930. “FRIDA 1929. A (left). into her young adult interchangeably with Frida. 1928 “FRIDA KAHLO” in a stylize nature (again upper case). Lola Álvarez Bravo. in handwriting. 1937. Portrait. At the time. Portrait of Miriam Penansky. brought to their attention a catalogue.. FIGURE 13. LAB acknowledged as much. In her review. from a collective exhibition presented at Mexico’s Universidad Autónoma de México in 1955.F. the photographer replied: “I never had that painting in my house. stretched and tacked onto a Information gleaned from the restoration of the two works allowed close comparison. Detail of Figure 3. the Portrait of a Woman in White. In the 1930s. Woman in White was restored in New York in 1989 and the Penansky portrait in 2013 in Amsterdam. Facultad Arquitectura. 11B (right). 2005). belonged to Lola Álvarez Bravo. was held there. some time. and make her ready for viewing in an open casket at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Miriam was covered with an exceptionally thick. oil on canvas. See in Lola Álvarez Bravo and the Photography of an Era (México: CONACULTA. My Parents and I. 1928. which confirmed our belief in the authenticity of both works. Behind Miriam Penansky. upside down on the back of the lower rail of the FIGURE 15. . A second white ground. however — something no one can do — is convey the emotional charge that Kahlo left in each painting. in the original German. ‘FRiEDA KAHLO. As opposed to Miriam Penansky. It is more difficult to say whether the shelf and other compositional elements were fully painted as well or only sketched. 3 © 2013 “The Penansky portrait is signed and dated. simplifying the composition by removing the shelf and vase and adding the chair after the portrait was completed.. it has things that are obvious. One day. we may discover the answers to these new questions. concealed portrait. which initially drew us in the first place. 1 4 . and many more that will remain a mystery. What we were unable to do. that which cannot be forged. she wrote it interchangeably with Frida. the oeuvre of Frida Kahlo. Infra-red reflectogram of the Portrait stretcher. it appears that the vase with the flower was actually com- 30 I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . the impasto and color of these motifs becomes slightly recognizable with the naked eye. also abandoned in favor of the Penansky portrait.’ all upper case except for the ‘i’. with other unidentifiable motifs. but. it helps our IRR reading by revealing a second surprise. Once seen via IRR imaging. undoubtof Miriam Penansky showing a shelf and vase with a edly relates to the flower not visible in the original composition. the Spanish version. Although her given name was spelled Frieda. and as with every universe. into her young adult years. are shapes that may indicate other objects also sitting on the shelf. sketched and partially painted motifs that may have been intended as part of the Penansky portrait.” pleted. cross-sections of paint samples and colors seen in open cracks and at the edges of the canvas suggest that the first sitter is wearing a predominantly green colored blouse with lace trim and short puffed sleeves. reduces our reading of it with IRR. Kahlo’s signature varied over the years. things that are less clear. applied to cover the underlying portrait. in the IRR it is clear that the chair stiles are painted directly over the shelf. there was once a small shelf. and. From the colors visible in paint cracks. There is also brushwork and a color shift in the background to the left and right of both stiles that indicate it may have been a change of mind by Kahlo as she painted Miriam Penansky. However. In this brief essay we have pieced together a puzzle where each component adds to our knowledge about the Portrait of Miriam Penansky and the Portrait of a Woman in White. On the left side of the shelf had stood a slender vase containing a single flower. The provenance of each of these works and the technical and stylistic analysis – the physical properties and materials and the handling of line and paint – confirm their authenticity. and to the left and right of the portrait. and part of its horizontal plank was changed into the top rail of the yellow chair (FIG. Every work of art is a universe. It is also difficult to know whether the shelf and vase were originally behind the sitter or if they belonged.. N O . conversely.T W O F R I DA K A H L O P O R T R A I T S by radiography. 15). to yet another independent composition. An inscription with the dimensions of the painting and an indecipherable word. ultimately. This is the essence of what is always genuine and unique. who wears purple and white. partially behind Penansky. She also wears a necklace with large beads or stones. infrared reflectography (IRR) and transmitted infrared digital photography (IRD) exposes various aspects of the underlying portrait suggesting that the underlying portrait was also finished. . AGOSTO 1929. ® VOLU ME 1 4 N U MBER 3 201 3 I N T E R N AT I O N A L F O U N DAT I O N F O R A R T R E S E A R C H T WO KAH LO PO RT RA I TS— O N E FO U N D. O N E CONFIR M E D Claim For Beethoven Frieze I N C O R P O R AT I N G S TO LE N AR T ALE R T ® Is the "Leonardo" Discovery Another Wannabe? . MOU with Cambodia Renewed T WO F R I DA K A H L O P ORT R A I T S : ON E F OU N D. Patella 39 B O OK R E V I E W T he E x p a nd i n g World of E a s e l Pa i nt i n g C on s e r v at ion — a re v i e w of C o n s e r va t i o n o f E a s e l Pa i n t i n g s Marco Grassi 45 S TOL E N A RT A L E RT ® COVER: FRIDA KAHLO. Jacob. D. 22. New York. Woman in White. H.S. I F A R® J O U R N A L V O L . as a 2009 Austrian Amendment is Put to the Test 13 U. 1929. Jane C.F. Berlin. See article on p. Private Collection. Government v. and Laurent Sozzani 31 M E E T T H E A RT A DV IS ORY C OU NC I L : A C ON V E R S AT ION W I T H E G BE RT H AV E R K A M P. Mexico. ON E C ON F I R M E D Salomon Grimberg. Appeal Expected 17 Round Two: U. 119 x 81 cm (47 x 32 inches). Sotheby’s Meanwhile U. 1 4 . 3 © 2013 1 . Klein 33 T H E C A SE OF T H E “ NO T R IG H T ” BA S QU I AT Joseph A.S.2 22 N E WS & U PDAT E S 2 Is a Portrait Found in a Swiss Vault a Missing Leonardo da Vinci or Another Wannabe? 6 New Sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List 6 Syrian Red List Published 7 The Long Arms of a Textbook Case — Kirtsaeng Book Decision Applauded by Museums 10 Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze Enters Restitution Fray Again. detail. N O . Supreme Court Refuses to Review Fair Use Decision Favoring Prince 15 Fingerprint Specialist’s Defamation Suit Against The New Yorker Fails. © 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. S. Oil on canvas. / Artists Rights Society (ARS).BE G E M A N N Virgilia P.