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"Man with Blue Eyes, " Portrait by Paul Cadmus, Possibly of Robert F. Kennedy

About the Item

Although there is no evidence that Paul Cadmus knew Robert F. Kennedy, this portrait of a handsome, youthful man with blue eyes and a thick head of hair suggests that the artist admired Kennedy and may have drawn this portrait from afar. Cadmus became famous, and notorious, in the 1930s and 40s by painting a series of raucous, satiric murals and genre paintings, all thickly-populated, including "Shore Leave," "The Fleet's In" and "Coney Island." Later he focused almost exclusively on drawings, largely nudes and portraits, producing scores of them over many years, many very fine and beautifully observed. Although the identify of this sitter is not known for sure, it shows Cadmus' genius in the use of colored pencil in subtle warm colors, with highlights in white, clearly influenced by the Renaissance masters that Cadmus admired. Medium is colored pencil on paper, (Dimensions include matte and frame; image is 12 inches high by 9.5 inches wide).
  • Creator:
    Paul Cadmus (Artist)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 17.75 in (45.09 cm)Width: 14.75 in (37.47 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1960s
  • Condition:
    Minor losses. Area of image is in excellent condition; surface of paper torn away on lower lefthand corner.
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865123425632
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