I have spent the last six weeks or so posting updates and photographs I’ve received from cousins from my Seligmann, Katzenstein, and Schoenthal families. Today I return to my Goldschmidt/Goldsmith family. But before I begin writing about the next branch of that family, I want to post some updates I’ve received from Goldsmith cousins.
First, I want to share three wonderful portraits shared by my cousin Robin Goldsmith, the grandson of Doctors Milton Goldsmith and Luba Robin Goldsmith, about whom I wrote here and here and here and here. Robin is the son of Milton and Luba’s older son, Norman, who is also discussed in those posts and here.
The first two portraits are of Robin’s grandparents, Milton and Luba:
Robin took photographs of the portraits, and so there is a bit of a glow from the flash and some distortion. Also, the photograph cut off the names and dates, so I asked Robin to check for those. He did and reported back that Luba’s portrait was signed by David Silvette and dated 1930; Milton’s portrait was signed by Mildred Silvette and dated 1938.
David Silvette1, born May 28, 1909, and died August 29, 1992, was a very successful artist. He was described on one website as “one of Virginia’s most sought-after portrait artists in the early 20th century.” His portrait of F. Scott Fitzgerald hangs in the National Gallery in Washington, DC. Mildred Silvette was his younger sister, and she also was an artist; she studied under Hans Hofmann in the 1930s.
David and Mildred were the children of Ellis Meyer Silvette, also a well-known American portrait artist, who was born in Lithuania as Eli Meyer Silverberg. Ellis was living in Pittsburgh in 1910 with his wife Ella and the two children born at that point, including David.2 That time in Pittsburgh may be how the family connected with Milton and Luba Goldsmith.
Both portraits are beautifully done, and I especially love the way the texture of Luba’s dress and fur collar are depicted.
The third portrait that Robin shared with me is one of his father Norman Goldsmith.
It is quite different in style—much more expressionist than the realistic portraits of his parents Milton and Luba. I love how Norman’s blue eyes, much like those of his father, stand out in this portrait. It is dated 1929 and has the artist’s initials, D.S. I have to believe that D.S. stands for David Silvette.
Thank you to my cousin Robin for sharing these with me.
- Anita Price Davis, New Deal Art in North Carolina: The Murals, Sculptures, Reliefs, Paintings, Oils and Frescoes and Their Creators (McFarland, 2008), pp. 122-125. ↩
- Silverberg family, 1910 US census, Year: 1910; Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 4, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1300; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0325; FHL microfilm: 1375313, Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census ↩
The three portrait photos are wonderful and quite a lovely addition to your family history library. I love the sparkle achieved in Norman’s blue eyes, in fact, I love his portrait. Reminds me of a hard-working man with his tie askew. Interesting in the different styles of the portraits.
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That’s my favorite also. I found a number of other paintings by David Silvette online, and his usual style is much more like that in the portrait of Norman. I wonder whether he modified his style when he painted Luba to suit her taste?
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I am related to the Silvette family of portrait artists who are mentioned in the blog post. I would like to get in contact with Amy Cohen to discuss these portraits in more detail. Thanks. Please let me know how to get in touch. I submitted my email address in this reply.
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Thank you, David! I will email you.
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The beauty of painted portraits is that the artist can emphasize certain facial expressions much better than a photograph can ever do. This is especially noticeable at Norman Goldsmith’s portrait. Thank you for sharing these pictorial treasures with us, Amy!
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You’re so right, Peter. Thank you!
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This can truly be said to be an illustrated history! Beautiful, evocative pictures.
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Thanks, Frederick!
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Since we are talking about art, Luba’s hands reminded me of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. I can’t draw or paint but understand hands are difficult. Don’t the two women resemble each other? Norman’s is also my favorite.
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You’re right—there is something in her hands and her smile that is like the Mona Lisa. I wonder whether that was the artist’s goal. Great observation, Cathy! Thanks!
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You’re welcome, Amy.
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Wonderful portraits Amy, what a find. Luba looks a gentle lady with amazing hair.
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Yes, and so accomplished as well. The first woman to graduate from Pittsburgh medical school!
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Lovely portraits Amy. Painted portraits give such a different sense of the subject to photos.
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Thanks, Su. Indeed they do.
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What priceless portraits! Those first two absolutely glow. And the third one pops in a different way altogether. Could the same artist have really perfected such wildly different styles?!
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I think his usual style was somewhere between the two different seen here. Here is a link to his portrait of F Scott Fitzgerals: https://npg.si.edu/blog/portrait-f-scott-fitzgerald-david-silvette And here’s one that is even more different: askart.com/artist/artist/103863/artist.aspx
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What a phenomenal artist!
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Portraits? Portraits? I have lots and lots of “stuff” but nothing like this. Just beautiful!
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Thanks, Debi! Of course, I don’t “have” them either—just the photos of them that Robin took.
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