Gertrude Abercrombie’s 1950s Self-Portrait: A Rare Miniature Masterwork of the Chicago Surrealist Icon
Gertrude Abercrombie created self-portraits throughout her career, from her earliest known work, a Self Portrait, 1929 (location unknown, in which she appears in the guise of Greta Garbo, one of her favorite actresses, to one of her last works, the pen and ink Self Portrait from 1968.
This startlingly beautiful painting is from the 1950s, one of the most productive periods of her career, when she exhibited regularly, not only at the open air art shows that were her specialties, but in galleries in Chicago and New York, as well as in exhibition groups such as the Chicago Society of Artists and at the Chicago Art Institute’s juried annual exhibitions.
Although Abercrombie occasionally made small paintings in the 1940s, she dramatically increased her production of tiny paintings in the early 1950s. It is likely she was motivated at least in part by concerns over money. Her marriage to Bob Livingston, a lawyer who provided well for the family, ended in 1948. The same year she married Frank Sandiford, a small-time criminal turned record store employee, changing her economic situation, which was amplified by a disastrous investment with a friend that ended in a large loss. As a result, Abercrombie produced numerous small paintings that were sometimes made into pins, brooches, or pendants with frames of the artist’s design fabricated by a jeweler, then sold at art fairs or galleries.
Although Abercrombie occasionally made small paintings in the 1940s, she dramatically increased her production of tiny paintings in the early 1950s. It is likely she was motivated at least in part by concerns over money. Her marriage to Bob Livingston, a lawyer who provided well for the family, ended in 1948. The same year she married Frank Sandiford, a small-time criminal turned record store employee, changing her economic situation, which was amplified by a disastrous investment with a friend that ended in a large loss. As a result, Abercrombie produced numerous small paintings that were sometimes made into pins, brooches, or pendants with frames of the artist’s design fabricated by a jeweler, then sold at art fairs or galleries.
The present Self Portrait is a stern three-quarter view of the artist with large, upturned eyes, long dark hair with bangs, and the long neck we see in so many of her self-portraits. Despite its miniature size, a bare tree and crescent moon can be seen to the left of the Abercrombie’s head. The 1968 Self Portrait referred to earlier, although much larger, also includes a similar leafless tree and crescent moon, although arranged differently. The artist felt the moon belonged to her, a personal possession, and the tree is one that appears repeatedly in her work in different variants. That she managed to create in this tiny format an image that is a recognizable likeness, complete with personal symbols that convey an imaginative, magical quality, is a great accomplishment.
Explore this rare self-portrait by Gertrude Abercrombie and view all highlights from the upcoming Art + Design sale.