John Gellatly

Irving R. Wiles, John Gellatly, 1930-1932, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1932.6.1
Irving R. Wiles, John Gellatly, 1930-1932, oil on canvas, 7938 38 in. (200.897.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1932.6.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
John Gellatly
Date
1930-1932
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
7938 38 in. (200.897.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture Interior — domestic
  • Portrait male — Gellatly, John
  • Occupation — other — connoisseur
Object Number
1932.6.1

Artwork Description

Art collecting is a hobby for some, but for John Gellatly it was a passion. His buying began in collaboration with his first wife, Edith Rogers (1858--1913), whose family manufactured railroad locomotives. The couple supported many contemporary American artists, including Abbott Handerson Thayer, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, John Henry Twachtman, and Albert Pinkham Ryder--all painters influenced by French impressionism. The Gellatlys also collected decorative arts, especially glass. After Edith's death, John's collecting pace increased, perhaps exceeding his means. By the time he donated his art collection to what later became the Smithsonian American Art Museum, few funds remained in the estate to settle his debts.

Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.

Works by this artist (65 items)

William Henry Holmes, On the Sunset Hill, 1926, 1926, watercolor, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Anna Bartsch Dunne, 1962.4.19
On the Sunset Hill, 1926
Date1926
watercolor
Not on view
William Henry Holmes, Blossoms, 1927, watercolor, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Anna Bartsch Dunne, 1962.4.18
Blossoms
Date1927
watercolor
Not on view

Related Posts

Diorama showing a miniaturized corner of a room with small paintings and glass
How John Gellatly’s eclectic collection of fine and decorative arts took over his New York home and six rooms in the Heckscher Building
A photograph of a woman.
Katie Hondorf
Public Affairs Specialist

More Artworks from the Collection

Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
Site with Blue and White
Date1978
monotype
Not on view