Ada in White Hat

Date1977

Maker Alex Katz American, born 1927

Label TextAlex Katz began focusing on portraiture in the late 1950s, at a time when abstraction was the dominant style of American painting. Since then he has become celebrated for his portraits of friends and family, which are distinguished by their bright monochromatic backgrounds, flat figures, and economy of line. This is one of more than 200 portraits that Katz has painted of his wife, Ada.

Object number2016.24.3

ProvenanceThe artist; [PaceWildenstein, New York]; purchased by Richard and Elizabeth Hedreen

Photo CreditPhoto: Susan Cole

Exhibition HistoryWaltham, Mass., Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Alex Katz in the Seventies, May 27-July 9, 1978. Text by Roberta Smith. Cat. no. 25, reproduced p. 45. New York, New York, Marlborough Gallery, Alex Katz, Mar. 1-29, 1980. Cat. no. 1 [as Ada in White Hat, 1978]. Trento, Italy, Galleria Civica di Arte Contemporanea, Alex Katz, Nov. 21, 1991-Jan. 16, 2000. Text by Vittoria Coen. Cat. no. 33, reproduced pp. 19, 72 [as White Hat, 1979]. Venice, Italy, Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Alex Katz: Portraits, June 13-Sept. 30 (extended through October 30), 2003. Texts by Massimiliano Gioni, Vincent Katz and Angela Vettese. No cat. no., reproduced p. 58 [as White Hat, 1979]. Vienna, Austria, Albertina Museum, Alex Katz: Cartoons and Paintings, Dec.16, 2004-Feb. 23, 2005. Text by Merlin James. Cat. no. 2, reproduced p. 25 and on cover [as Ada in White Hat, 1979]. New York, New York, The Jewish Museum, Alex Katz Paints Ada, Oct. 27, 2006-Mar. 18, 2007. Seattle, Wash., Seattle Art Museum, SAM at 75: Building a Collection for Seattle, May 5- Sept. 9, 2007. Text (titled A Community of Collectors: 75th Anniversary Gifts to the Seattle Art Museum) by Chiyo Ishikawa. No cat. no., p. 54, reproduced p. 55 and on cover [as Ada in White Hat, 1979]. Published ReferencesAdams, Alice. Rich Rewards. New York: Penguin Books, 1981. Reproduced on cover. Ratcliff, Carter, Robert Storr and Iwona Blazwick. Alex Katz. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2005. Reproduced p. 109 [as White Hat, 1979].

Credit LineGift of Richard and Elizabeth Hedreen, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum

Dimensions48 x 36 in. (121.9 x 91.4 cm)

MediumOil on linen