From a family in a rural suburb of Portland in whose home it
has hung since at least
the 1920s, this tour de force by Hawthorne is in need of some cleaning.
In the lower
left corner, which is very dark with grime, a face can be discerned,
presumably that of
a child. "The Wife", titled by the artist and offered here publicly
for the first time, is
a riveting painting, a prime example of how unique and daring this artist
was..
