Sepherot Foundation, Liechtenstein
The model for this impressive portrait was Duane Van Vechten, an artist and philanthropist. Fechin painted at least two portraits of Duane in oil. They were friends for many years, as evidenced by Alexandra Fechin’s dedication in her only published book: “To Duane, one of my very first and dear friends in the United States.”
Duane studied with Fechin in New York and followed him to Taos, where she became an important figure. She was a good friend and patroness of the artists of the local artistic colony. Duane painted frequently, but did not see the need to exhibit and sell her paintings. Fechin decorated her Taos workshop with wooden carvings.
In this portrait, Fechin portrays Duane not as an artist in a paint-stained working blouse, but as a beautiful, frail, high society lady. The picture was obviously painted following Fechin’s life-changing journey to sunny California and his first visit to Taos in 1925–1926, when unprecedented bright colours began to enter the artist’s palette for the first time.