A Katharine Hepburn Oil Painting by John Decker, Circa 1936....

Description

A Katharine Hepburn Oil Painting by John Decker, Circa 1936. Rendered on artist board, depicting a striking and elegant portrait of the young Hepburn with a haunting quality to her expression; furthermore, she is dramatically poised in a costume likely from John Ford's 1936 RKO film, "Mary of Scotland" where she played the lead role of "Mary Stuart;" signed in the lower right corner "John Decker," a serious artist though probably best remembered for his painting of W.C. Fields (dressed in drag as Queen Victoria) which hung for decades at Chasen's Restaurant, the famed celebrity watering hole in Los Angeles; painting is still housed in its original black lacquer wooden frame. (Please note there are a number of paint chips mainly around the borders and the piece needs to be professionally cleaned; additionally, the frame shows numerous paint chips.)
Painting Only: 36" x 27"; Framed: 46" x 36"

PROVENANCE:
According to Johanna Madsen [Katharine Hepburn's longtime housekeeper], the star gave her this portrait as a gift; Madsen then kept it until 1975 when she sold it to the current owner who has consigned it to this Heritage auction.

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