Photo By Gail

Tom Wolfe was famous for his writing, his distinctive New York persona — and, of course, his signature white suits. American artist Everett Raymond Kinstler captured all three in this striking 1987 portrait of the author.

Painted in oil on canvas, the 50-by-27-inch portrait shows Wolfe dressed entirely in white, leaning casually on a walking stick with one leg crossed over the other. The long, narrow composition gives him an almost theatrical presence, while the loose brushwork keeps the painting from feeling overly formal.

There’s a great story behind Wolfe’s white suits, too. According to Kinstler, the two men met on the street years before this portrait was painted.  Kinstler mentioned how he was looking forward to a talk Wolfe was scheduled to make at an upcoming Mark Twain Dinner and Wolfe mentioned that Twain was his favorite author, but that he couldn’t find a fresh story about him. Kinstler responded with a story about another artist he knew well: James Montgomery Flagg, who had once painted Samuel Clemens —better known as Mark Twain.

When the young Flagg asked Twain why he always wore white suits, Twain supposedly replied that he didn’t like to be conspicuous, but he did like to be noticed.

Whether or not Wolfe ultimately used that story at the dinner, it certainly seems like the perfect anecdote for him —and an amusing explanation for a fashion choice that became one of his trademarks.

The connection is even more fitting because Kinstler himself had been a friend and protégé of Flagg. In this portrait, three generations of American storytelling, illustration and self-invention seem to come together: Mark Twain, James Montgomery Flagg and Tom Wolfe — all dressed to be noticed.

Photographed at the National Arts Club in Manhattan.