Emlen Etting

Portrait of Leon Daniellen by Emlen Etting
Emlen Etting had a lifelong interest in capturing the likenesses of handsome, glamorous friends, and he traveled in a prestigious circle of artists, writers and wealthy clients. Little is known about Leon Daniellen, but the expressive eyes, sharply etched face, and sensuous mouth captured by the artist suggest a life of beauty and sorrow. Perhaps because he sometimes collaborated with writers to illustrate books, Etting would sometimes layer text over his paintings, as he does here. Etting exhibited, over a long lifetime of painting, in more than 30 one-man and multiple-artist shows in Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and elsewhere, and his works were purchased by museums and collectors such as Walter Annenberg, Helen Hayes, and Mary Clark Rockefeller. This drawing is one of several purchased from his estate.