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Martha Dana (later Mrs. William Mercer)
Anders Leonard Zorn (Swedish, 1860–1920)
1899
Medium/Technique
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
68.6 x 50.8 cm (27 x 20 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. William R. Mercer
Accession Number28.513
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsPaintings
Zorn painted this portrait of Martha Dana (1872–1960) at the Back Bay home of Boston art collector and personality Isabella Stewart Gardner, who arranged a number of commissioned portraits on the artist’s behalf. The artist captures the youth and vivacity of this modern beauty with quick, loose brushstrokes and vibrant accents of color. In her later years, Dana would become a prominent benefactor to local arts institutions, including the MFA.
InscriptionsUpper right: Zorn 99
Provenance1899, Martha Dana (later Mrs. William Robert Mercer; b. 1872 - d. 1960), Boston (original commission); 1928, gift of Martha Dana Mercer to the MFA. (Accession Date: October 4, 1928)