Titles

Only one title is known:

• 'Portrait of Miss Laura Barr' (1980, YMSM). 1

Description

According to the Academy:

'The artist frequently spoke of this particular work as one which should add very greatly to his reputation and those of his intimates who had seen the picture in the making were of one mind as to its value.' 2

Mrs Barr described her daughter's portrait to Joseph Pennell:

'Girl, about fourteen, size less than 4 as little of the body is shown below waist. Dress indigo blue with yellow silk – old gold front and loosely bound waist band of same silk. Hair very fuzzy reaching to shoulders only, brown eyes, grey black brows and lashes. Very delicate colouring as to face a pensive sweet expression. Background – Pompeian red or pink.' 3

In a further letter to Pennell, Mrs Barr added: 'There was no chairback in the lost portrait, but the sitter did look towards the spectator.' 4

Walter R. Sickert stated that he made a pencil drawing of Miss Barr while Whistler was painting her, and that Barr acquired the drawing. 5

Sitter

Laura Charlotte Barr (Mrs Dodd) (1880-1949). She was the daughter of Robert Barr (1849-1912) and his wife Eva Bennett (Mrs Robert Barr) (d. ca 1919). Laura Charlotte Barr was born on 10 March 1880 in the USA. In 1908 she married Harvey Dodd in Bombay, India. They had two daughters, Priscilla Dodd (d. 1982) and Alison Robertson.