Eastman Johnson American, New York 1824-1906 Portrait of May Valentina Stern Harlow (Narcissa) oil on wood panel 1886; signed and dated lower left, and again verso, and inscribed verso “Guten Morgen, lieber Papa! / Heut ist dein Geburststag ja, / Da Kommen Schwesterlein beide / Und wunschen Dir Gluck und Freude / Wir wollen liebe Kinder sein. / Dass Du Dich Kunnst an uns erfreun. /__ Am 9. Mai 1886 __” 19 x 16 in. (48.3 x 40.6 cm.) Provenance: Ex-collection Isaac Stern, New York thence by descent to current owner, private collection, New York; Swann Auction Galleries, New York, 17 Sep 2020, lot 16 where acquired by the Jill and Lowell Teschmacher Charitable Trust where transferred to the Teschmacher Collection, 11 Oct 2022 Note: from a catalog: "This painting was commissioned as a gift for the sitter’s father, Isaac Stern (1844-1910), when the sitter turned 4 years old. According to the inscription on the painting, there may be a portrait of her sister, which would have been paired with this painting. May Stern (née Harlow) was born into New York high society during the Gilded Age. Her father was one of the founders of the regional department store chain Stern Brothers, which was in business in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than a century. Her brother, Robert, who modified his surname to Stearns (1888-1954), was the co-founder of the investment bank Bear Stearns in 1923. A portrait of the sitter’s mother, Virginia Michels Stern (1862-1927) painted in 1868 by Jules LeFebvre (1836-1911) is currently in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York. This painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Eastman Johnson's work being compiled by Patricia Hills. Abell provides in-house shipping for select items. Our office is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM for item pickups. Items that cannot be shipped will be noted. An email will go out after invoices are sent. For assistance with shipping, please refer to our shippers' page at https://www.abell.com/buy-sell/how-to-ship/. Payment: Jewelry and coins must be paid by wire transfer, cash, or check (checks subject to clearance before release). The Condition Report states Abell Auction's reasonable opinion as to the lot’s general condition in the terms stated in the particular report, and Abell does not represent or guarantee that a Condition Report includes all aspects of the internal or external condition of the Lot. Items sold at auction are of considerable age and may exhibit wear, usage, repairs, and damage. Therefore, all lots are sold 'as is' and there are no returns or refunds. Abell does not owe the buyer any obligation to report on the condition of the lot and makes no guarantee the condition will be given for the lot. Abell attempts to provide accurate descriptions and images of products online. It is the buyer's responsibility to review all of the information provided about a lot before placing a bid. The buyer acknowledges that the products are sold on an “as-is” basis. Provenance: Ex-collection Isaac Stern, New York thence by descent to current owner, private collection, New York; Swann Auction Galleries, New York, 17 Sep 2020, lot 16 where acquired by the Jill and Lowell Teschmacher Charitable Trust where transferred to the Teschmacher Collection, 11 Oct 2022Note: from a catalog: "This painting was commissioned as a gift for the sitter’s father, Isaac Stern (1844-1910), when the sitter turned 4 years old. According to the inscription on the painting, there may be a portrait of her sister, which would have been paired with this painting. May Stern (née Harlow) was born into New York high society during the Gilded Age. Her father was one of the founders of the regional department store chain Stern Brothers, which was in business in NewYork, Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than a century. Her brother, Robert, who modified his surname to Stearns (1888-1954), was the co-founder of the investment bank Bear Stearns in 1923. A portrait of the sitter’s mother, Virginia Michels Stern (1862-1927) painted in 1868 by Jules LeFebvre (1836-1911) is currently in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York. This painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Eastman Johnson's work being compiled by Patricia Hills.