Lot 103: Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta , A Little Princess in the Gardens at Versailles

signed R. Madrazo , dated Pittsburgh 1905 and inscribed Terminé chez mon ami A Peacock (lower right) oil on canvas

measurements 35 by 46 in. alternate measurements 88.9 by 116.8 cm

Sale: Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco, California, November 15, 2005, lot 135, illustrated

Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta arrived in the United States in 1896 and upon settling in New York quickly became one of the most sought after portrait painters in the city, attracting such prominent collectors as John Pierpont Morgan, the Posts, and the Vanderbilts. Madrazo's appeal soon extended beyond New York, and one of his most devoted clients was Andrew Peacock, a vice president of Carnegie Steel Company. Peacock was an avid collector and housed his collection in his mansion in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, called Rowanlea. Peacock ultimately commissioned seven family portraits from Madrazo, even inviting the artist to stay with him throughout their completion. The present work was perhaps presented to Peacock as a token of Madrazo's appreciation for his hospitality and it is thought that the woman in blue holding the pitcher is Madame Madrazo and the small white dog, the family pet. The majority of Peacock's art collection was auctioned in 1922 in New York, however, the present work was kept by the family, and hung in their home until the mid-1980s.