James A. Flaherty

Details

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)
James A. Flaherty
signed with conjoined initials and dated ‘TE·1903’ (upper right)
oil on canvas
27 x 22 in. (68.6 x 55.9 cm.)
Painted in 1903.

Provenance

The artist.
Knights of Columbus Home, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, acquired from the above, 1903.
Gift to the present owner from the above, 1955.

Literature

L. Goodrich, Thomas Eakins: His Life and Work, New York, 1933, p. 196, no. 377.
S. Shendler, Eakins, Boston, Massachusetts, 1967, p. 47, fig. 99, illustrated.
G. Hendricks, The Life and Work of Thomas Eakins, New York, 1974, pp. 253, 350, no. CL-331, illustrated.
L. Goodrich, Thomas Eakins, vol. II, Washington, D.C., 1982, pp. 78, 192, 225.
W.I. Homer, Thomas Eakins: His Life and Art, New York, 1992, p. 228.
S.D. Kirkpatrick, The Revenge of Thomas Eakins, Binghamton, New York, 2006, p. 474.

Exhibited

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Memorial Exhibition of the Works of the Late Thomas Eakins, December 23, 1917-January 13, 1918, p. 88, no. 54.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1969.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, William Penn Museum, 1976.

Lot Essay

James A. Flaherty (1853-1937) was a prominent layman in the Catholic community of Philadelphia and a distinguished lawyer. He was also a Supreme Knight of the Philadelphia Council of the Knights of Columbus. Upon the completion of the present work, the committee of the Knights of Columbus wrote to Eakins, “We wish to extend to you our thanks for the life-like portrait which you have produced of that gentleman.” (as quoted in L. Goodrich, Thomas Eakins, vol. II, p. 192)

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