John Koch (1909-1978)
Portrait of Bonaventura Devine
signed and dated 'Koch '73' (lower right)
oil on canvas
36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm.)
Painted in 1973.
Footnotes:
Provenance
Bonaventura Elizabeth (née Kirby) Devine (1903-1977), New York and Hobe Sound, Florida, commissioned from the artist, 1973.
Mary Jane (née Devine) Kenny (1927-2018), Bernardsville, New Jersey, daughter of the above, by descent from the above, 1977.
By descent to the present owner from the above, son of the above, 2018.

John Koch is recognized as one of the leading Realist painters of the 20th century, best known for his elegant depictions of fashionable life in and around New York City. Koch's portrait of Bonaventura Devine is a superb example of the genre that demonstrates Koch's adept skill in orchestrating complex, yet seemingly carefree scenes of the refined and reformed world of New York high society. The scene Koch portrays in the present work suggests a sophisticated home's interior, captured at a peaceful moment in the sitter's day. Koch painted Mrs. Devine in her apartment in New York's famed River House on East 52nd Street whose notable residents include Cornelius 'Sonny' Vanderbilt Whitney (1889-1992) and Edwin Howard Armstrong (1890-1954), inventor of the FM radio. Mrs. Devine, dressed in a beautiful pale blue, sleeveless dress and wearing a stunning double strand of pearls, appears turned around on a period sofa with her left arm resting over its back and looking toward the viewer, as if to take note of someone entering the room. Surrounding her are the exceptional pieces of furniture and art that Mrs. Devine and her husband collected during their time together. The Devine's were respected for not only their industrial and philanthropic prowess, but also their impeccable taste in art.