Countess Maria Zichy, painter, 1893-1962, standing beside portrait of Benjamin Franklin

Description: Countess Maria Zichy was born in Budapest as Erzsebet Podvinecz, she became known commercially as the Countess Zichy, painting under the name of Countess Maria Zichy. She studied in Budapest locally before studying in Paris and returned to Hungary to study at the Royal Hungarian Academy. She was the first woman recognized for her portraiture by the Royal Academy of Hungary. After traveling to the United States and returning to Europe many times, she finally settled in the U.S. and gained renown as a portraitist for the elites. She started teaching at the YWCA and eventually opened her own school: the Countess Zichy Academy of Art in New York City.
Creator/Photographer: Peter A. Juley & Son
Medium: Black and white photographic print
Dimensions: 8 in x 10 in
Culture: American
5838
Repository: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Photograph Archives
Collection: Peter A. Juley & Son Collection - The Peter A. Juley & Son Collection is comprised of 127,000 black-and-white photographic negatives documenting the works of more than 11,000 American artists. Throughout its long history, from 1896 to 1975, the Juley firm served as the largest and most respected fine arts photography firm in New York. The Juley Collection, acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1975, constitutes a unique visual record of American art sometimes providing the only photographic documentation of altered, damaged, or lost works. Included in the collection are over 4,700 photographic portraits of artists.

Accession number: J0030610