1478 - James Ben Ali Haggin III (1882, New York – 1951, New York)

James Ben Ali Haggin III (1882, New York – 1951, New York) "Midnight Prank" Painted in 1925, this life-size portrait depicts an elegant, capricious lady seated on a chair in a pose and attire characteristic of the Roaring Twenties: She wears a knee-length, apricot-colored chiffon dress and a cloche hat, her left arm is outstretched and resting on a dandyish walking or dancing cane, her right hand resting on her crossed legs, holding a cigarette in a cigarette holder, with a ring featuring a large green stone on her finger. The dress reveals her exceptionally slender legs, which are shod in brown pumps. The lady has stylishly pinned a red flower to her right shoulder as an accessory; her décolletage is adorned with a double-strand pearl necklace, complemented by delicate earrings, red lipstick, and blush on her cheeks. According to tradition, Haggin painted this work at an artists’ party on Halloween night, where each guest was asked to bring a spooky object of their own creation. For this reason, Haggin painted the work in two layers, so that when illuminated by bright light from the upper right, the lady’s beautiful face transforms into a creepy, grotesque visage. The prominent American portrait painter and set designer James Ben Ali Haggin III, a grandson of the multimillionaire James Ben Ali Haggin, was a close friend of the legendary theater and film producer Florenz Ziegfeld (1867–1932), for whom he also worked on his revue, the “Ziegfeld Follies.” After extensive training, he began exhibiting paintings in official settings in 1903; in 1909, the National Academy of Design awarded him the “Third Hallgarten Prize” for his painting “Elfrida”. As a founding member of the “National Association of Portrait Painters,” he was elected an associate member of the National Academy of Design in 1912. In 1916, he married the actress and dancer Bonnie Glass. Oil on canvas, lined; Dedication in the lower left with date and location: “To Jules Batthyany with appreciation Ben Ali Haggin (/) Florence – 1925.” 185 cm x 150 cm. Framed. Provenance: According to information from the previous owner, this painting hung in a castle belonging to the Batthyány family of counts in Hungary until about 30 years ago, after Haggin had given it as a gift in 1925 to his well-known fellow artist Gyula Batthyány (1887–1959). Oil on canvas, relined. Signed and dated with the location “To Jules Batthyany with appreciation Ben Ali Haggin (/) Florence – 1925.”