Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker)

Cecilia Beaux, Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker), 1898, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design, 1952.10.1
Cecilia Beaux, Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker), 1898, oil on canvas, 4834 58 in. (121.987.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design, 1952.10.1
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Artwork Details

Title
Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker)
Date
1898
Dimensions
4834 58 in. (121.987.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Occupation — education
  • Occupation — industry — railroad
  • Architecture Interior — domestic
  • Animal — cat
Object Number
1952.10.1

Artwork Description

Cecilia Beaux's portrait of Henry Sturgis Drinker is an interesting pairing of artist and sitter. Drinker was Beaux's brother-in-law, a railroad executive who later became president of Lehigh University. In the 1890s, men such as Drinker were at the pinnacle of East Coast society, and their tastes shaped public life for decades.

Beaux was a fiercely independent woman who lived well, kept handsome lovers, and had a will of iron. At a time when few women could, she carved out a career for herself as a portraitist, and was thought to rival John Singer Sargent. Drinker's mutton-chop whiskers, linen suit, and casual pose convey immense self-assurance, but his steady, almost wary gaze suggests that he recognized in the artist a personality as strong as his own.

Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006

Works by this artist (45 items)

Barbara Bosworth, Untitled, from the series The Bitterroot River, 1995-1997, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Haluk and Elisa Soykan, 2008.2.38, © 1995-1997, Barbara Bosworth
Untitled, from the series The Bitterroot River
Date1995-1997
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Barbara Bosworth, Untitled, from the series The Bitterroot River, 1995-1997, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Haluk and Elisa Soykan, 2008.2.35, © 1995-1997, Barbara Bosworth
Untitled, from the series The Bitterroot River
Date1995-1997
gelatin silver print
Not on view

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Salvatore Mancini, Remains of Lock, Millville, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.6
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Keisha Scarville, Chair, 2001, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Perkins Center for the Arts, 2002.17, © 2001, Keisha Scarville
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Date2001
gelatin silver print
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Salvatore Mancini, Eel Fisherman, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.2
Eel Fisherman
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