John Koch

1955

John Koch (American, 1909-1978) - Garbisch Family Portrait (Version I)

oil

John Koch's family portraits are marked by an insightful blend of intimacy and formality. Koch, a realist, celebrated domestic life with a keen eye for detail and psychological depth. His compositions are carefully orchestrated, utilizing figure placement and furnishings as complements to the emotional resonance of his ensembles. His subjects, frequently comprised of important American families–such as the family of Colonel Edgar Garbisch and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, presented here with children, Edgar Jr. and Gwynne, and their renowned collection of fine American furniture, folk art, and decorative objects at Pokety, their stately manse on Maryland’s Eastern Shore–are rendered with both individuality and personality. The artist’s attention to setting adds an additional layer of significance to his works; they are not merely portraits of people but snapshots of a distinct social and cultural milieu. Through works like Garbisch Family Portrait (Version I), Koch invites viewers into a world where family relationships are elevated to the status of fine art, offering a glimpse into the beauty of human connection and the subtleties of familial dynamics.

The Artist.

Commissioned from the above in June 1955.

Colonel Edgar Garbisch and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Cambridge, Maryland.

By descent in the Garbisch Family.

Gwynne Garbisch McDevitt, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

Estate of Gwynne Garbisch McDevitt, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.