Sketch of a Girl Reading ca. 1910
Genre study of a seated girl reading in a room interior. The girl is wearing a white skirt and a light blue blouse with puffed sleeves, a flower in her hair, and holding a large sheet of paper in her hand. She is sitting in a slatted chair with a semicircular backrest, next to her is a side table with a lamp with a red fabric shade and a small vase of flowers. The interior of the room is depicted by a wall console, numerous unidentifiable objects on the wall, and a picture in a wooden frame.
JQAW# G_1910_020
Oil on canvas 63 x 50 cm
Signature: John Quincy Ɑdams.
Unknown private collection Austria
Picture: Online auction catalogue Dorotheum Vienna
This sketch-like painting was intended either as a preparatory study for an (unknown) portrait or as a genre study. The scene and clothing are reminiscent of a Biedermeier motif and could be interpreted as a homage to Adams' first teacher, Robert Scheffer (1859–1934), who painted numerous such Biedermeier interior genre paintings (see cross-references). Overall, the color scheme is garish, the interior rather chaotic, and the overall impression of the painting atypical for the artist, suggesting that the unsuccessful sketch was executed quickly and was not intended for sale or exhibition. Based on the signature, the work is dated to around 1910. The work was unknown in Adams' literature until the Dorotheum auction in 2025. As is usual with works sold at auction, the provenance and current owners are also unknown.
Cross-references
Exhibited
Literature
Provenance
Unknown.
Online auction Dorotheum Vienna 17.9.2025 Lot 112.
Unknown private collection Austria.