Comments on: Acquiring a Work of Art: Little Brown Girl

By: Kathy

Kathy — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:17:25 +0000

Hi, This is a fascinating story about one of my favorite paintings at the IMA. I read it some time ago and am revisiting to ask a question. I just read in The Herron Chronicle that the former art institute director “retrieved” another work from a Lake Wawasee hotel in the 1940s that he had loaned. I see you were one of the authors of that book; perhaps you can share more about what else might have been loaned and what still may be missing. Thanks.

By: HARDRICK Raphael

HARDRICK Raphael — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:16:02 +0000

I am John Wesley Hardrick gran son and I am a real fan of this particular painting and of course of his whole Art work.
I am living in Switzerland and I dream to set up an exhibition here with one of the finest Art Museum of Geneva (Musée Rath).
Now you seem to have a better organisation to lend a painting and I wonder how we could arrange ourselves to bring some of J.W. Hardrick works in Geneva for a special exhibition.

By: My Review

My Review — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:02:37 +0000

More than that, I think it should be encouraged

By: Harriet Warkel

Harriet Warkel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Sorry, I do not have a twitter link. Just keep an eye on the IMA blogs because more of these will be coming.

By: Pharmacy Reviews

Pharmacy Reviews — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:59:07 +0000

Written at the begining of the year yet still very relevant, you should add your twitter link, ill follow for sure

By: Harriet Warkel

Harriet Warkel — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:55:08 +0000

I would love for Hardrick’s niece to contact me at the IMA.

By: Joyce Rice-Saunders

Joyce Rice-Saunders — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:34:11 +0000

I am the niece of one of John Hardrick’s daughters. Honestly I still can’t understand how the museum could let such a notable painting go missing for more than 50 years. That the painting was on loan to a hotel on Lake Wawassee just seems so improbable considering the demographics and the era. Why don’t the curators at IMA take up the challenge and do a more thorough investigation, not to point fingers but to determine how Little Brown Girl went missing and how the person IMA acquired it from got it? I get the feeling there just might be a real interesting story to share!

By: Phillip D. West

Phillip D. West — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:14:45 +0000

My father Harry L. West (now disceased) was John Hardrick’s 1st cousin. Our family is interested in locating any of his paintings which maybe for sale and or being informed as to the provenance and location of any other of his paintings.

By: ejly

ejly — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:42:27 +0000

I’m a fan of Hardrick’s paintings, and I’m glad to read that this painting has resumed an honored place in the collection of the IMA. Thanks for writing up the acquisition story.

By: Harriet Warkel

Harriet Warkel — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:35:31 +0000

I have been asked to speculate on how Little Brown Girl may have been lost. There are some leads that indicate the painting was lent to a hotel in Wawasse, Indiana, and no record of it ever having been returned from that loan. This might indicate that the painting was sold along with the rest of the contents of the hotel. Clearly someone was asleep at the helm in the Herron Art Museum because they did not realize that we had a painting on loan to that hotel that had to be retrieved before it disappeared along with the furnishings. Since this is only conjecture and based on incomplete records, pointing fingers is useless. But I thought that I should address what the most likely reason the painting was lost. As I indicated in my blog, with todays stringent rules and records, along with an equally stringent lending policy, such a loss could not occur.