Shirley Temple Conte Crayon Portrait (1938).
Burbank, Elbridge A.
13 x 11-1/2 inches (33.0 x 29.2 cm)

Inscribed "E.A. Burbank/ 1938/ Compliments of E.A. Burbank," this remarkably lifelike portrait was rendered by Burbank, a man renowned for his paintings of Native American subjects, in conte crayon and perfectly captures the enchanting spirit of the young star. Matted and framed under glass to an overall 15.5" x 18.5", this portrait is nearly photorealistic in its attention to detail.

Elbridge Ayer Burbank (1858-1949) was an American artist born in Harvard, Illinois. A painter of portraits of Native Americans whose work is represented in the Field Museum, the Newberry Library in Chicago, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He then studied in Munich, Germany under Paul Nauen and Frederic Fehr in 1886, alongside Leigh, Sharp, and Rosenthal. In 1895, his uncle, a museum president, commissioned a series of Western Indian portraits. Burbank painted the first portrait of Geronimo at Fort Sill, the only artist to paint Geronimo from life, Burbank's work is regarded as historically important.

Property from the Personal Collection of Shirley Temple Black  

Alternate Artist Spellings: "Burbank, E. A.", "Burbank, Elbridge Ayer", "E. A. Burbank", "Elbridge Ayer Burbank"