American, 1882 - 1951
Ben Ali Haggin's unusual name was derived from that of a distant ancestor, a Turkish doctor surnamed Ben Ali, and that of his grandfather, James Ben Haggin, a wealthy industrialist. Haggin studied at the Art Students League in New York for several years before enrolling at the Royal Academy, Munich, where he would also teach. He was professionally established in New York by the early years of the twentieth century
With his privileged background, Haggin commenced a career in portraiture by specializing in prominent society women and theatrical performers in costume. Later he would add thoroughbred horses to his range of portrait subjects. A description of a 1908 exhibition held at Knoedler's, New York neatly describes his early career:
[block quote:]
Five portraits by Ben Ali Haggin, the young painter whose portrait of Miss Mary Garden as Thais caused almost a sensation when shown in the Knoedler window . . . of late, are on view through today in the upper gallery at Knoedler's. . . . The Mary Garden portrait . . . is again shown and with it full-length standing portraits of Mrs. Smith Hollins McKim of Baltimore, the artist's wife, formerly Miss Robinson, the Japanese actress Mme. Hanako in costume, and the Princess Belosellski-Beloszersky, formerly Miss Whittier of New York and Boston.
Mr. Haggin has an eye to theatrical effect, if not sensation, as was proven in the Mary Garden portrait, which is almost startling in its photographic rendering of the tenuously veiled prima donna, but he does not lack artistic merit in his work.
[end of block quote]
Haggin made his Academy debut in the 1907 winter exhibition with the portrait of Mme. Hanako and continued participating in Academy shows fairly consistently through 1936. He was awarded the Julius Hallgarten Prize in 1909.
By the end of the 1920s, Haggin was known as a bon vivant whose international lifestyle matched that of his society clientele. In the 1930s, theater design became another outlet for his talents. He created sets for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and the Ziegfeld Follies, among other companies.
ML
With his privileged background, Haggin commenced a career in portraiture by specializing in prominent society women and theatrical performers in costume. Later he would add thoroughbred horses to his range of portrait subjects. A description of a 1908 exhibition held at Knoedler's, New York neatly describes his early career:
[block quote:]
Five portraits by Ben Ali Haggin, the young painter whose portrait of Miss Mary Garden as Thais caused almost a sensation when shown in the Knoedler window . . . of late, are on view through today in the upper gallery at Knoedler's. . . . The Mary Garden portrait . . . is again shown and with it full-length standing portraits of Mrs. Smith Hollins McKim of Baltimore, the artist's wife, formerly Miss Robinson, the Japanese actress Mme. Hanako in costume, and the Princess Belosellski-Beloszersky, formerly Miss Whittier of New York and Boston.
Mr. Haggin has an eye to theatrical effect, if not sensation, as was proven in the Mary Garden portrait, which is almost startling in its photographic rendering of the tenuously veiled prima donna, but he does not lack artistic merit in his work.
[end of block quote]
Haggin made his Academy debut in the 1907 winter exhibition with the portrait of Mme. Hanako and continued participating in Academy shows fairly consistently through 1936. He was awarded the Julius Hallgarten Prize in 1909.
By the end of the 1920s, Haggin was known as a bon vivant whose international lifestyle matched that of his society clientele. In the 1930s, theater design became another outlet for his talents. He created sets for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and the Ziegfeld Follies, among other companies.
ML
