Elizabeth Shoumatoff

Elizabeth Shoumatoff was a prominent Russian-American portrait painter best known for her work on the iconic Unfinished Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Born into an aristocratic family in the Russian Empire, she established a successful career painting portraits of American and European elites, including members of the Roosevelt family and Vanderbilt family. Her legacy is inextricably linked to her final commission at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, where she was capturing the likeness of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the moment of his death.

Early life and education

Born Elizabeth Avinoff in 1888 in Kharkiv, she was the daughter of a wealthy landowner and sister to the renowned entomologist and painter Andrey Avinoff. Her family's privileged position allowed for extensive cultural exposure and private tutoring. Following the Russian Revolution, she fled the turmoil with her family, eventually immigrating to the United States in the early 1920s. She had previously studied art in Saint Petersburg and later honed her skills at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, developing the refined, realistic style that would define her professional work.

Career as a portrait painter

Establishing herself in New York City, Shoumatoff quickly gained a reputation among high society for her elegant and flattering portraits. Her clientele included prominent figures from the worlds of industry, finance, and politics, such as John D. Rockefeller Jr., Ogden L. Mills, and Anne Archbold. She maintained studios in both Manhattan and Locust Valley on Long Island, becoming a sought-after chronicler of the Gilded Age and interwar elite. Her technique often involved multiple preparatory sketches and emphasized the dignified bearing of her subjects, aligning with the traditions of formal portraiture practiced by artists like John Singer Sargent.

The Unfinished Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt

In April 1945, Shoumatoff was commissioned by Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd to paint a portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia. On the morning of April 12, while she was sketching the president in the Little White House, he collapsed and died. The resulting work, known as the Unfinished Portrait, shows Roosevelt in a characteristic pose but lacks final details and color. This historical artifact, capturing a pivotal moment in World War II history, is now displayed at the Little White House Historic Site. The event was witnessed by several figures, including Roosevelt's cousin Margaret Suckley and the president's secretary, William D. Hassett.

Later life and legacy

After the events in Warm Springs, Shoumatoff continued her portrait career for another three decades, painting subjects like Mamie Eisenhower and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway. She authored a memoir, FDR's Unfinished Portrait, detailing her experiences. Her works are held in collections including the Frick Art & Historical Center and the National Portrait Gallery. She is remembered as a skilled artist who captured the visages of powerful individuals during a transformative era in American history, with her unfinished work serving as a poignant symbol of the end of the Roosevelt administration.

Personal life

She was first married to her cousin, Leo Shoumatoff, with whom she had two children before their divorce. In 1942, she married her brother's widower, the artist and former director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Andrey Avinoff. This union connected her more deeply to the artistic and scientific circles of Pittsburgh and New York City. She was an active member of New York society and maintained connections with the Russian diaspora throughout her life. Shoumatoff died in New York City in 1980.