Augusta Comes Home

For over 25 years the portrait of a lady has graced a wall of the living room of Gerald and Margaret Lestz. Although they are fond of the lady, they have given her away. They feel that she belongs in the Demuth Foundation. They were moved to this decision not only by their generosity but also because they felt very strongly that this lady should return home.

The lady in the portrait is Augusta Buckius Demuth, as painted by her son Charles. A half-figure painting, it shows her dressed in a severely chokered black dress – a fashion much favored by Mrs. Demuth, and one she resolutely effected until the end of her life in 1943, following the death of her husband in 1911.

Done in oils, it is a fairly large portrait, 33" by 24". The skin tones are glowing and rosy; in fact, the nose is almost red. Unlike many conventional portraits, this one has no added detail or "props." Nothing distracts from full concentration on the face and figure. One is tempted to call it stark. The stately woman is shown against a background of taupe of mixed grays and yellows.

The subject’s head is turned slightly to one side, and her gaze is direct and unflinching. The subject has been neither glamorized nor sentimentalized; the viewer feels, instead, the solidity of real flesh.

The size of the painting and treatment of the subject have led some scholars to conclude that this work was done early in Demuth’s career. The style shows certain similarities to that of his instructors at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which he attended as a young man.

However, the date cannot be determined with certainty.

As art collectors and Demuth aficionados, Gerry and Margaret understood the importance of the portrait in relation to Demuth’s other work. The artist rarely did portraits. We do not think of formal portraiture as his forte, but this painting proves that he could – and did – succeed in it. If the purpose of portraiture is to convey the personality of the subject, Demuth did so admirably. The strong planes of the race, the set jaw, and the determined mouth all indicate that Augusta was a commanding woman.

Thus, this painting increases our understanding of Demuth’s work. It fills a gap for us. The only other portraits in the Foundation’s collection are his self-portrait, one of his friend Louise Haas Michaelis, and two small unidentified watercolors.

The painting of Augusta Demuth is significant also because she played such a prominent role in her son’s life. He adored her and teased her, playfully called her "a battleship in full sail." His letters, as well as comments of friends, testify to her strong influence on him and her devotion to him. It was in the Demuth house that she spent her adult life, and her life centered upon her son. So what more appropriate place could there be for her portrait, painted by her son, than in her own home?

That is how Gerry and Margaret Lestz saw it, and when it went on display last month, we rejoiced that Augusta Demuth had come home. Thank you, Margaret. Thank you, Gerry. – MW