GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Thomas M. Stell Jr.'s intense interest in design is evident in the bold, hard-edged contours of his young sitter's body and the highly ornate background. The stillness and frozen quality of the composition recall the artist's reverence for early Italian and Northern Renaissance paintings, which he saw during his European studies. Stell brought reproductions of these works back to Dallas, opening up new artistic avenues for his colleagues in the Dallas Nine. The directness of his portraiture is also indebted to the example of two of his New York teachers, George Luks and Charles Webster Hawthorne.
Adapted from
William Keyse Rudolph, DMA Label copy (1990.187), March 2007
NOTES
This note was originally started by Erin Pinon, summer 2016 but was left blank. EAS pulled the note from the Evernote trash folder to keep working on it.
Object file has been reviewed.
TMS record has been reviewed.
FIXED- typo in date of Label copy in TMS and fix typos in the text of this label. Fix lack of spacing before new sentences in existitng label and fix punctuation for artist's name in label copy.
VERIFY MEDIUM- In TMS- the attributes filed includes "painting" as an object name. Is this both a painting and a work on paper? Verso photograph makes it look like it is on fiberboard of some sort.
EXHIBITION HISTORY- Torn DMFA label on verso suggests it was loaned to DMFA for an exhibition or installation at some point? No exhibitions in the text field or exhibitions records in TMS.
Stell had work included in the following:
- 13 Dallas Artists, summer 1936- portrait illustrated, not this work. (Probably "Miss Dale Heard" which also appeared in TX Centennial Exh)
- Sixth Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- March 19 to April 2, 1933- Stell contributed multiple works including an oil portrait "Naomi," and he isn't listed under "Pastels"
- Allied Arts Exhibition, 1928- Stell listed for a still life.
- Third Annual Texas Print Exhibition- "Torso" lithograph
- Seventh Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- 1935- "St. Matthews Tower" and "Gate Keeper's Lodge"
- Eighth Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- 1937- "Winter Self-Portrait"
- Second Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- 1929- "Landscape" (pastel or watercolor, honorable mention); two landscapes listed in catalogue;
- Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of Texas Painting and Sculpture- 1952- "St. Mary's" [this is illustrated in "A Century of Art and Life in Texas" 1961]
- Illustrated Catalog: Art Department State Fair of Texas: 1933 Exhibition- "Portrait of Della Owens" no. 89, Lent by the artist.
- **Compare this name to a local newspaper search for Stell engagement?
- **Compare the sticker on verso to other works included in the 1933 exhibition?
- Portal to TX History- started to search for info on sitter or artist engagement, but could not complete the searches:
- "Della Owen" and "Della Owens"- found in multiple Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, c. 1933
- The Denison Press, Aug 4, 1934- marriage license for R.A. Rice and Mrs. Della S. Owens, Denison.
ADD SOURCES FROM OBJECT FILE- multiple photocopied articles available in the file but no published references or bibliography in text fields or bibliographic module.
Appraisal document from Murray Smither, July 30, 1990, in the object file contains additional information about the object that could be added as a text entry?
- The model is said to be the daughter of a woman to whom the artist was once engaged.
- The pastel was framed by John Douglass, circa 1940.
Added as a footnote to the provenance- Letter from the donor mentions that Stell was a close personal friend and her teacher. (Not sure if Marjorie M. Meyer known as Dallas artist or simply took classes from Stell when he was younger?)
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin- San Antonio (based on artist's known residences)
Process/materials
pastel
paper
Historical periods
c. 1940 U.S.
Individuals
Subject terms
dolls
girls
standing
dress
hairstyle
portrait
tree
landscape
walkway
bricks
shoes
socks
gardens (open spaces)
roses
flowers (in the tree)
trellises
arches
leaves
fence
clouds
hills
yard
Gaze
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1990: Mrs. Marjorie M. Meyer, Dallas, TX [1]
From 1990: Dallas Museum of Art, gift from the above
[1] Correspondence from the donor states that Stell was a close personal friend and teacher.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- This painting was a gift to the Dallas Museum of Art from one of Stell's former students, Marjorie M. Meyer. Other artists who trained with Stell in Dallas include William Lester, Lloyd Geoff, Verda Ligon, Florence McClung, and Everett Spruce—all of whom are represented in the Museum's collection.
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1990.187
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
Thomas M. Stell Jr.'s intense interest in design is evident in the bold, hard-edged contours of his young sitter's body and the highly ornate background. The stillness and frozen quality of the composition recall the artist's reverence for early Italian and Northern Renaissance paintings, which he saw during his European studies. Stell brought reproductions of these works back to Dallas, opening up new artistic avenues for his colleagues in the Dallas Nine. The directness of his portraiture is also indebted to the example of two of his New York teachers, George Luks and Charles Webster Hawthorne.
Adapted from
William Keyse Rudolph, DMA Label copy (1990.187), March 2007
Fun Facts
- This painting was a gift to the Dallas Museum of Art from one of Stell's former students, Marjorie M. Meyer. Other artists who trained with Stell in Dallas include William Lester, Lloyd Geoff, Verda Ligon, Florence McClung, and Everett Spruce—all of whom are represented in the Museum's collection.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
This note was originally started by Erin Pinon, summer 2016 but was left blank. EAS pulled the note from the Evernote trash folder to keep working on it.
Object file has been reviewed.
TMS record has been reviewed.
FIXED- typo in date of Label copy in TMS and fix typos in the text of this label. Fix lack of spacing before new sentences in existitng label and fix punctuation for artist's name in label copy.
VERIFY MEDIUM- In TMS- the attributes filed includes "painting" as an object name. Is this both a painting and a work on paper? Verso photograph makes it look like it is on fiberboard of some sort.
EXHIBITION HISTORY- Torn DMFA label on verso suggests it was loaned to DMFA for an exhibition or installation at some point? No exhibitions in the text field or exhibitions records in TMS.
Stell had work included in the following:
- 13 Dallas Artists, summer 1936- portrait illustrated, not this work. (Probably "Miss Dale Heard" which also appeared in TX Centennial Exh)
- Sixth Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- March 19 to April 2, 1933- Stell contributed multiple works including an oil portrait "Naomi," and he isn't listed under "Pastels"
- Allied Arts Exhibition, 1928- Stell listed for a still life.
- Third Annual Texas Print Exhibition- "Torso" lithograph
- Seventh Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- 1935- "St. Matthews Tower" and "Gate Keeper's Lodge"
- Eighth Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- 1937- "Winter Self-Portrait"
- Second Annual Allied Arts Exhibition- 1929- "Landscape" (pastel or watercolor, honorable mention); two landscapes listed in catalogue;
- Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of Texas Painting and Sculpture- 1952- "St. Mary's" [this is illustrated in "A Century of Art and Life in Texas" 1961]
- Illustrated Catalog: Art Department State Fair of Texas: 1933 Exhibition- "Portrait of Della Owens" no. 89, Lent by the artist.
- **Compare this name to a local newspaper search for Stell engagement?
- **Compare the sticker on verso to other works included in the 1933 exhibition?
- Portal to TX History- started to search for info on sitter or artist engagement, but could not complete the searches:
- "Della Owen" and "Della Owens"- found in multiple Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, c. 1933
- The Denison Press, Aug 4, 1934- marriage license for R.A. Rice and Mrs. Della S. Owens, Denison.
ADD SOURCES FROM OBJECT FILE- multiple photocopied articles available in the file but no published references or bibliography in text fields or bibliographic module.
Appraisal document from Murray Smither, July 30, 1990, in the object file contains additional information about the object that could be added as a text entry?
- The model is said to be the daughter of a woman to whom the artist was once engaged.
- The pastel was framed by John Douglass, circa 1940.
Added as a footnote to the provenance- Letter from the donor mentions that Stell was a close personal friend and her teacher. (Not sure if Marjorie M. Meyer known as Dallas artist or simply took classes from Stell when he was younger?)
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin- San Antonio (based on artist's known residences)
Process/materials
pastel
paper
Historical periods
c. 1940 U.S.
Individuals
Subject terms
dolls
girls
standing
dress
hairstyle
portrait
tree
landscape
walkway
bricks
shoes
socks
gardens (open spaces)
roses
flowers (in the tree)
trellises
arches
leaves
fence
clouds
hills
yard
Gaze
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1990: Mrs. Marjorie M. Meyer, Dallas, TX [1]
From 1990: Dallas Museum of Art, gift from the above
[1] Correspondence from the donor states that Stell was a close personal friend and teacher.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1990.187
source file
object_notes_3_c-0203.xml.nores