The Red Sash

Provenance

H.R. Clarke, New York

Private collection, 1999, acquired from above

Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, New York, May 16, 2024, lot 243, from above

Related Works

The Red Bow, 1902, oil on canvas, 29 13/16 x 24⅛ inches, signed upper right: C.W. Hawthorne; Brooklyn Museum, New York

The Trousseau, 1910, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches, signed upper left: C. W. Hawthorne; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Note

Charles W. Hawthorne was renowned for his portrait paintings and his powerful personal style that combined Impressionist influences with academic techniques. He was a master of color and light, and his distinctive style is evident in his paintings: bold brushstrokes convey passion and excitement; avoiding line drawing, he constructed forms directly with patches of color[1] thereby infusing his paintings with vitality and a profound insight into the character of his models.[2] This painting fully embodies Hawthorne’s sincere personal style. The model, dressed in a white gown and formed through blocks of color, appears melancholic, as if lost in thought, while the bright, pure red sash falls directly from the model’s neck, creating a striking contrast. It’s as though two spirits collide within her, radiating a powerful vitality that seems ready to break through the canvas.

[1] Charles Webster Hawthorne, Hawthorne on Painting ((New York: Courier Corporation, Inc., 1960), 26.

[2] Phillips Duncan, Charles W. Hawthorne. International Studio 61 (March 1917), 20.