Photo By Gail

In her paintings, Florine Stettheimer (1871 – 1944) often depicted herself, her mother and sisters, and the artists who frequented the vibrant gatherings in her family’s Manhattan apartment. Alongside likenesses of her sitters, she typically included emblems of the individual’s identity — clues to character that could only be deciphered by this privileged audience.

At the center of Sun (1931) is a symbol deeply personal to the artist: a towering bouquet. Stettheimer picked a bouquet of seasonal flowers each year other birthday, recording the event in her journal; this one celebrates her sixtieth birthday and, with Florine written on the ribbon that snakes around it like a vine, suggests a stand-in for the artist herself. a woman, perhaps Stettheimer, lounges under an arbor on the distant, sun-drenched rooftop.

Photographed in the Whitney Museum in NYC.