Mrs. Potter Palmer
1893
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
258 × 141.2 cm (101 5/8 × 55 5/8 in.); Framed: 266.7 × 149.9 × 10.2 cm (105 × 59 × 4 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81576
Art Historical Context
Anders Zorn’s striking full-length portrait of Mrs. Potter Palmer, painted in 1893, presents one of Chicago’s most influential figures at the height of the Gilded Age. Bertha Honoré Palmer, a leading socialite, philanthropist, and art patron, was deeply involved in the city’s cultural life, notably as a key organizer of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The painting’s impressive scale—over eight feet tall—conveys her commanding presence and elevated status. Working in oil on canvas, the Swedish artist employs his signature loose, fluid brushwork to capture light, fabric, and atmosphere w...
About the Artist
Anders Zorn · 1860–1920
Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden's most celebrated artists, was born on February 18 in Utmeland near Mora in Dalarna, and raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in the nearby hamlet of Yvraden. Displaying prodigious talent from a young age, he attended school in Mora Strand until age twelve, followed by secondary grammar school in Enköping, where he excelled in drawing people and horses. ...