Provenance
Mr. Martin A. Ryerson (1856–1932) and Mrs. Carrie Ryerson (1859–1937), Chicago, by 1932; bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1933.
Accession Number
16651
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
166.4 × 95.3 cm (65 1/2 × 37 1/2 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Louis Betts's Martin A. Ryerson (1913) is an oil on canvas portrait of a key benefactor of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ryerson was a Chicago businessman and art collector who served as president of the Art Institute. Betts was a prominent American portraitist. This portrait captures Ryerson with the dignity appropriate to his position.
Cultural Impact
Betts was a leading portraitist who documented the figures shaping American cultural life.
Why It Matters
This portrait of Martin A. Ryerson captures the dignity of a great art patron, Betts's refined technique creating a fitting memorial.
