Miss. Hearn or Girl Playing a Mandolin

A copy of this image from the Frick Archives is titled Miss. Hearn, which would be the daughter of the major New York dry goods retailer and art collector, George Hearn.  It may have been exhibited in 1888 as “Girl Playing the Mandolin”

George Hearn was a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY.  He collected a massive collection of Asian art, which became the foundation of the museum Asian collection. Millet was also a trustee of the Met and he and Hearn were good friends. Hearn was also guided by Millet in his collecting of American Art and eventually Mr. Hearn presented the first 100 American Paintings that founded the Met’s American Collection.    Mr. Hearn also purchased Millet’s painting “Fastening the Strophion,” which he then presented to his daughter upon her wedding as a gift.  Sadly, Miss Hearn, caught cold during the wedding and died several days later.