Career Mariette Leslie Cotton

1 career

1.1 portrait work
1.2 mature style
1.3 society woman professional artist

career

in months of year cotton , husband sailed europe. in leaving position in new york firm of importers, indicated couple intended live abroad permanently. not long after arrival cotton began study in parisian studio run portraitists, carolus-duran , jean-jacques henner, known taking on women students, particularly anglo-americans.

early portrait work





from unsigned article in academy magazine, 6 june 1891

portrait of henry keteltas mariette leslie cotton (1883-1884, oil on canvas, 60 1/4 x 37 1/4 inches)

in 1889 painting of cotton s, portrait of miss s., accepted exhibition @ paris salon of year , proved painting american artist receive award. in 1891 showed 2 portraits—a pastel, mrs. mahlon sands, , oil, f. t. martin, esq. —at annual exhibition @ london s royal academy. review of 1891 exhibition in art journal called portraits meritorious performances , review in royal academy gave more extensive evaluation, praising technical mastery in ultra-french style , looking forward development of artistic individuality.

by 1895 cotton had become known portraits had made of prominent european men including duke of cambridge , otto von bismarck. year paintings of 2 men whom had social , family connections appeared @ knoedler s galleries in new york. 1 showed husband s friend, samuel m. roosevelt , other showed howard potter whom cotton related via husband s first marriage. later in year 5 portraits cotton appeared in loan exhibition aid 2 local charities. critic sun singled out miss e. winslow best of group, saying portrait contained dignity , distinction quite apart charm of feature or expression. critic defended dignity conveyed in 2 other portraits critic said had been unfairly criticized unnecessarily realistic in regard ravages of time. of self-portrait society writer said viewer @ exhibition astonished because smiling, young, modish society woman, seemingly coming out of frame outstretched hand greet you, looked woman of fashion hard working artist.

in fall of following year cotton showed self-portrait , portraits of 2 wealthy new yorkers @ knoedler s. sitters william seward webb , james l. breese. writing in sun, critic said paintings made in vigorous style unusual in woman , another, in new york times, saw portraits having minor defects nonetheless showing promise , unusual cleverness. new york times critic associated cotton s style john singer sargent s, calling him master. times critic did not explain why thought cotton follower of sargent, few years later critic noted cotton had received advice , criticism him.

mature style

louisa archer thornton mariette leslie cotton (1905, oil on canvas)



brayton c. ives mariette leslie cotton (1907, oil on canvas, 50 x 40 inches)



lady mendl infirmiere pendant la guerre mariette leslie cotton (circa 1918, oil on canvas, 30 x 23 inches)



portrait of col. william wright harts mariette leslie cotton (oil on canvas)

in 1900 cotton showed 5 portraits @ knoedler s. exhibition attracted attention of critics praised versatility , evident sympathy sitters dash , spirit of style. relationship knoedler s continued exhibitions every few years 1901 through 1921. critics liked 1901 show, 1 praising improvement in work. when twenty-one portraits appeared @ knoedler s in 1904, reviewers praised character research, directness , simplicity, , clever brushwork. 1 of them noted ability secure likeness, power of characterization, , rule drawing , effective color. reviewer noted unevenness in show, portraits giving evidence of having been rushed or given perfunctory attention. in 1906 cotton seen have brilliant career before her, earning enough commissioned portraits support support herself , family. time sitters increasingly european countries, many of them titled. 2 of these women had befriended cotton, lady cunard , lady savile. lady bache cunard former maude alice burke, american wealthy new york family. had married english baronet named bache edward cunard grandson of founder of cunard line. prominent in london social circles, noted promoter of literary , artistic careers. gertrude lady savile, raised in well-connected english family, developed strong ties in united states after married man had diplomatic appointment @ british embassy in washington, d.c. during stay in country became toast of town not in national capital, in new york. after first husband s untimely death, married diplomat, john savile, who, on death of childless uncle, named john savile, inherited title, 2nd baron savile, , wealth. lady cunard, lady savile highly respected london society matron. acting in competition each other, 2 women worked advance cotton s career in london. able obtain commissions growing list of titled english sitters including lord howard de walden; daughter of duke, lady marjorie manners; , lady in waiting queen, honorable violet vivian. while in marienbad during summer of 1907, cotton began work on portrait of english socialite named mrs. hall walker. close friend of edward vii, walker provided cotton introduction resulted in request king paint portrait well. mrs. hall walker, later baroness wavertree, popular hostess seen liking surround herself beautiful women such cotton. begun in marienbad, portrait completed following winter @ cotton s london studio. when portrait shown in exhibition @ knoedler s later year, critic praised innovative informality of clothing , pose revealed king s amiability without compromising dignity. portrait pleased him commissioned another, more formal, portrait of himself , 1 of queen. in 1914, cotton brought of london portraits new york exhibition @ knoedler s eliciting concise evaluation critic brooklyn daily eagle: there little doubt of talent of mrs. leslie cotton, shows portraits in oil, in upper gallery @ knoedler s, paints conviction, feeling , convincing result.

from time of marriage through 1920s cotton lived in london , paris, making frequent visits new york. showed work infrequently in new york galleries, instead inviting acquaintances studio see completed portraits , ones still in progress. these events, afternoon teas, became popular among social set in moved. on occasions did show work in new york galleries exhibitions reported in press. example, when in 1917 showed fifteen portraits had made in paris on previous few years, exhibition attracted notice new york herald, christian science monitor, sun, schenectady gazette, american art news, , fine arts journal. reviewers praised show in general, saw unevenness in quality of work, , impressed both social standing , attractiveness of sitters. 1 influential critic, henry mcbride, said mrs. cotton realizes personages vividly 1 tempted run off personal gossip rather thread tedious intricacies of discussion of artistic technique. during years when made home abroad cotton had paintings accepted exhibition in annual paris salons. appearances infrequent in career , annual during 1920s.

p. g. konody, writing in new york times , 12 december 1926

throughout career cotton moved , had no permanent or long-term studio. worked in hotel rooms , stayed in private home guest of 1 of sitters. during winter of 1902-1903 painted mrs. henry flagler @ home in palm beach. in august 1903 stayed 1 of sitters, mrs. william b. leeds, guest in bar harbor on leeds s yacht , december of year had studio in new york likened drawing room complete luxurious old tapestries. year later painting in studio within apartment hotel, schuyler, on west 45th street. in 1906 occupied rooms in london townhouse owned friend, lady savile. following summer, when began work on portrait of king edward, had studio in marienbad , while completing portrait during winter months occupying studio on tite street in chelsea had formerly been used james mcneill whistler. in 1913 had london studio, 1 on devonshire street, , 2 years later, in midst of world war i, working in paris. returning united states in 1916, painted portraits in private houses , had no studio. during 1920s worked in paris studios , thereafter, until end of life, in new york.

the society woman professional artist

during time cotton establishing herself professional artist reporters found odd influential society woman would, 1 of them said, challenge successful male portraitists such sargent or george burroughs torrey. showed surprise woman prefer better known artist hostess. third saw type of new woman such gertrude vanderbilt whitney, edith wharton, emily post, , other successful women in american literature , arts. fourth put it, true american society woman not think millions excuse idleness. fifth echoed sentiment , elaborated: in circles of great wealth dozen women doing meritorious work brush, pen, , chisel. , professionals in fullest sense of word. ... in every case professionals because wish tested on broadest basis of merit. hence put work side side product of make living in such ways , let purchaser decide meritorious.

throughout career critics noted cotton s popularity public , success in gaining prestigious commissions. found in many of portraits complained of unevenness in output , sloppy handling. in 1917 reviewer said, mrs. cotton disappointing painter in work varies greatly, of unusually good, , of weak make difficult understand how proceed same brush. in 1926 reviewer attributed @ least of variability necessary compromise. professional portraitist obliged please subjects. meant @ least of time had balance desire create art sitter s desire presented in way. reviewer suggested cotton s best work made when painted own pleasure , not forced make compromise.

after turned sixty years old, cotton showed work , attracted little notice press. attended occasional social function, including function @ white house @ invitation of eleanor roosevelt in 1940, seems have remained quietly in new york during last years of life.

cite error: there <ref group=note> tags on page, references not show without {{reflist|group=note}} template (see page).