Portrait of Beth Levine (Lady with Red Bow)
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Object Details
- Artist
- Philip Pearlstein, 24 May 1924 - 17 Dec 2022
- Sitter
- Beth Levine, 1914 - 2006
- Exhibition Label
- Beth Katz Levine (1914–2006) was one of the most influential and dynamic fashion designers of the twentieth century. Beginning as a shoe model, she later created her own designs for Herbert Levine, who worked for shoe manufacturer Andrew Geller. After marrying in 1946, the Levines made shoes under the Herbert Levine label. Beth Levine was also famous for her custom shoes, such as the stiletto boots Nancy Sinatra wore during performances of her 1966 hit, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Levine also created one-off whimsical shoes that were impractical to market but attracted the attention of consumers and the industry. She received a Coty Award in 1967 for design innovation and is recognized by the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute for her contribution to the creation of a postwar American style of women’s fashion. Artist Philip Pearlstein, whose wife, Dorothy, was Levine’s first cousin, has captured the designer in the midst of assessing him—and us—with one eyebrow raised.
- Beth Katz Levine (1914–2006) fue una de las diseñadoras de modas más influyentes y dinámicas del siglo XX. Comenzó su carrera como modelo de calzado y luego pasó a crear sus propios modelos para Herbert Levine, quien trabajaba con el fabricante de calzado Andrew Geller. Luego de contraer matrimonio en 1946, los Levine produjeron calzado bajo la marca “Herbert Levine”. Beth Levine también tuvo fama por sus zapatos hechos a medida, como las botas con tacón de aguja que usó Nancy Sinatra para interpretar su éxito de 1966, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”. Asimismo, Levine creaba zapatos de fantasía únicos, que aunque no eran prácticos para vender, captaban la atención de los consumidores y la industria. Recibió un Premio Coty en 1967 por innovación en diseño y el Costume Institute del Metropolitan Museum ha reconocido sus aportaciones a la creación de una moda femenina de sello estadounidense en la época de posguerra.
- El artista Philip Pearlstein, cuya esposa Dorothy era prima de Levine, captó a la diseñadora con una ceja levantada, como si estuviera evaluándolo a él, y a nosotros también.
- Provenance
- The artist; his daughter
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Ellen Pearlstein
- 1985
- Object number
- NPG.2014.99
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Copyright
- © 1985, Phillip Pearlstein
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Stretcher: 76.2 × 62.9cm (30 × 24 3/4")
- Frame: 79.4 × 66.7 × 4.1cm (31 1/4 × 26 1/4 × 1 5/8")
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Location
- Currently not on view
- National Portrait Gallery
- Topic
- Costume\Jewelry\Earring
- Costume\Dress Accessory\Bow
- Beth Levine: Female
- Beth Levine: Visual Arts\Designer\Fashion designer
- Beth Levine: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Merchant\Shoe merchant
- Portrait
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.2014.99
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Usage conditions apply
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f84b08e4-5d8a-431e-8c19-ecc59f9ccffe
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