Aaron Shikler Portraits



The portrait of the Engelhard parrot Jacob by Aaron Shikler.

 Noted portrait artist Aaron Shikler, born 1922, was a personal friend of Charles and Jane Englehard who were profiled in my June 6, 2011, post here with some of the contents from their house Cragwood featured in my June 21, 2011, post here.  The portrait of Sister Parish with her dog Yummy in the previous post of The Devoted Classicist reminded me of the portrait I admired so much of the Engelhard's parrot, Jacob.  While Jacob's portrait was included in the sale of the contents of Cragwood, the Shikler portrait of Mrs. Engelhard was not.  Beginning with a 1959 breakthrough commission, Jane Engelhard became a major patron of Shikler, eventually commissioning the Lady Bird portrait, one of Mike Mansfield for the U.S. Senate, and another of the Duchess of Windsor, among others.


Portrait of Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. by Aaron Shikler.

 Aaron Shikler studied at The Barnes Foundation in Marion, Pennsylvania and at the Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia with a stint in Europe between serving as a map-maker during WWII.  Returning to New York in 1949, he worked in the studio of Hans Hoffman, the Abstract Expressionist.

Portrait of John Kennedy, Jr., by Aaron Shikler.

Whether the recommendation came through her friend Jane Engelhard is unknown, but Jacqueline Kennedy commissioned the artist to do a portrait of young Caroline and John Kennedy in 1968, followed by others of Mrs. Kennedy alone and the three together.



Portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy by Aaron Shikler.

 Appreciating his artistic style and ability to please the client, Mrs. Kennedy asked Shikler to paint her official White House portrait, perhaps the most memorable of all the First Lady portraits.


Preliminary study for official White House portrait of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy by Aaron Shikler.



A view of the White House Vermeil Room during the Reagan Administration showing the Aaron Shikler portrait of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy above the settee to the left.
Photo from DREAM HOUSE, THE WHITE HOUSE AS AN AMERICAN HOME by Ulysses Grant Dietz and Sam Waters, Acanthus Press, 2009.

Shikler also painted the White House portrait of President John F. Kennedy, with Mrs. Kennedy's guidance.  She stipulated that there were to be no bags under his eyes and no penetrating gaze.

A 1962 sketch of President John F. Kennedy by Aaron Shikler from the Engelhard collection at Cragwood.

After producing a number of sketches for consideration, Mrs. Kennedy chose the pose with folded arms and lowered head that was adapted from a photo of Ted Kennedy in a similar stance at JFK's grave.  While it was controversial as some said the unconventional pose was not appropriate for the White House setting, many have found the portrait moving.


The official White House portrait of President John F. Kennedy by Aaron Shikler.

 Other White House portraits for President Lyndon B. Johnson, President Ronald Reagan, and First Lady Nancy Reagan followed.  A 1981 article in People magazine stated his then-current fee started at $25,000 for a head and shoulder portrait and $35,000 for for a full figure portrait.  A portrait of Jordan's Queen Noor was $140,000, however.   He no longer allowed input from the sitter, the story said, after an experience with the subject feeling the image was not flattering enough.

Thanks go to P. Gaye Tapp at the wonderful blog Little Augury for directing me to the blog Privilege.  Shikler also painted a portrait of the blog author Lisa, her brother, and her sister which can be seen here.

The display of portraits seems to have fallen out of favor these days in residential decoration, but do you not think there is a place for good portraits in stylish interior design?


The 2009 book Dream House, The White House as an American Home is available for purchase at a discount from the published price and the option of free shipping through The Devoted Classicist Library by clicking here.

New Twist On Sister



A portrait of Sister Parish with her Pekingese, Yummy, by Aaron Shikler.
From Parish-Hadley, Sixty Years of American Design by Christopher Petkanas, 1995.

 There is a new book about my former employer, the legendary decorator Sister Parish, which will be available in the U.S. in November, 2011.  Dorothy May Kinnicutt (whose year of birth is often listed as 1910, but sometimes earlier), was dubbed "Sister" by her brothers and the name stuck even after she became Mrs. Henry Parish, 2nd.  In the Olden Days, when members of High Society were often in the newspapers only three times -- birth, marriage, and death -- Sister Parish quietly decorated the homes of the Rich for thirty years before becoming nationally known.  A newspaper headline announced "Kennedys Pick Nun to Decorate White House" when she joined the committee to contribute to the highly publicized redecoration of the Executive Mansion.  Bringing on Albert Hadley, the business partnership became Parish-Hadley for another thirty years, and the office continuing on several more after Mrs. Parish's passing in 1994.

The Guest Room at Greentree known as the Princess Margaret bedroom.
From Parish-Hadley, Sixty Years of American Design by Christopher Petkanas, 1995.

While it would be hard for The Devoted Classicist to name a favorite Parish-Hadley project, the sprawling mansion on the Greentree estate is certainly the most memorable.  One of several lavish residences of John Hay "Jock" Whitney and his second wife Betsey of the famous Cushing sisters (formerly married to FDR son James Roosevelt, her sister Minnie was once married to Vincent Astor and her sister Babe was married to Standard Oil heir Stanley Mortimer, Jr., before marrying CBS founder William Paley), the estate was created starting in 1904 with the purchase of five contiguous farms by Mr. Whitney's father, Payne Whitney, stretching across the entire width of Long Island from sound to ocean.  The original colonial farmhouse was expanded to become an enormous mansion, filled with exquisite art and made exceptionally comfortable with the help of Parish-Hadley and a sizeable household staff.  When Jock Whitney, Thoroughbred horse enthusiast and one of the wealthiest men in the world, was named by President Eisenhower as the Ambassador to the Court of St. James, the Whitneys became close friends of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as well as the other members of the royal family.



Copyright 2011 Frances Lincoln Ltd.  Author:  Martin Wood.  $60.00.

 It is not surprising that the guest bedroom at Greentree known as the Princess Margaret bedroom is featured on the cover of the new book by Martin Wood, as it is very representative of the style of Sister Parish, comfortable and without ostentation despite the elements of formality and the huge house.  The story of the redecoration of the room for the private visit by the Princess and Lord Snowden after their highly publicized 1960 wedding is told with photos in both books Parish-Hadley, Sixty Years of American Design and Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer.  A private suite of two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a sitting room was formed from a line of rooms, creating a passage through a former closet to connect the bedrooms withoug disturbing the existing nineteenth century French scenic wallpaper.  Tone-on-tone Swiss muslin curtains with tassel fringe paired with natural linen roller shades trimmed with Irish lace dress the windows with a matching treatment for the dressing table holding a triptych mirror and a pair of bronze candlestick lamps in the form of a palm tree sheltering a giraffe.  A carpet of a small geometric pattern is scattered with a number of antique hooked rugs, a favorite Sister Parish touch.  There is no use of chintz here, considered a trademark, but the bed with a custom shaped headboard upholstered with cotton matelasse is covered with a boldly graphic American quilt, quintessentially Mrs. Parish.

The publication of this new book is greatly anticipated as the Sister Parish style of decorating is still popular today.  The chapters start with "Where It All Began" and continue to "Twilight", plus a Bibliography, Notes, and an Index.  The author Martin Wood is known for his widely acclaimed previous design biographies, John Fowler: Prince of Decorators and Nancy Lancaster:  English Country House Style which showcase the forces behind the legendary London interiors firm Colefax & Fowler.


In affiliation with Amazon, the Sister Parish, Albert Hadley, and Parish-Hadley books are available through The Devoted Classicist Library here.   The books on John Fowler, Nancy Lancaster, and Colefax & Fowler are available here.