01-22-202101-23-2021
Skinner Auctions
Skinner AuctionsMarlborough MA
January 22, 2021 12:00 PMCalender
110

Abram Poole (American, 1882-1961) Portrait of Harriet Hoctor En Pointe

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$62,500$50,000
Auction: American & European Works of Art - 3555BLocation: MarlboroughDate / Time: January 22, 2021 12:00PM

Description:

Abram Poole (American, 1882-1961)

Portrait of Harriet Hoctor En Pointe
Signed and inscribed "A Poole/134 E 47/N.Y.C." on the reverse.
Oil on canvas, 72 1/2 x 38 in. (184.0 x 96.5 cm),unframed.
Condition: Horizontal tears, the largest measuring 13 in. at u.r., mold spots, scattered paint losses and accretions, varnish discoloration, craquelure, stretcher bar marks, tack holes along perimeter, surface grime.

N.B. Harriet Hoctor (1907-1977),a gifted dancer of classical ballet, trained in New York first with Louis H. Chalif and then Ivan Tarasoff. During the 1920s and 30s dance companies dedicated to ballet did not exist in the U.S., so Hoctor appeared in ballet numbers in vaudeville (including the Ziegfeld Follies),musical comedy, and, to a lesser extent, film. She was especially noted for her supple back bend en pointe, a pose that was captured in a dramatic vintage photo on the cover of Dance Scope Magazine in 1980 (Vol 14, No.3),a copy of which accompanies the lot. The cover photo shows Hoctor in the role of the Fairy Doll from A La Carte, 1927, wearing what appears to be a costume identical to the one worn in Poole's portrait.
Estimate $1,500-2,000

All the tears to the canvas are horizontal. The major tear located u.r. measures 13 inches across. There is another tear center left beneath the dancer's hand that measures 2 1/4 inches across. There is a series of three small tears along the bottom edge of various sizes, 1 1/4 inch, 3/4 inch, and 2 1/2 inches. These may be the result of weakened canvas pressed against the stretcher bar. There is also a 7 inch long diagonal surface scratch in the skirt.


Items may have wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

Keywords

Louis H. Chalif, Ivan Tarasoff, Abram Poole, United States