1977, Andy Warhol, Mary-Jean Mitchell Green, in Light Green Dress (special exhibition) -- Bermuda National Gallery
From the museum label:
When Peter and Mary-Jean Mitchell Green unwrapped the portrait she had sat for, they discovered that she had been painted wearing a green dress, which unbeknownst to Warhol was against family superstition. "One of our ancestors was shot through the green of their tartan, so nobody in our clan wears any green," explains their son Andrew Green.
Peter called Warhol's manager, Fred Hughes, to explain the situation. "There was absolute shock. No one had ever declined a portrait before," says Andrew. "Hughes was very commercially minded," explains his brother Alexander. "He said fine, we'll sort it out. Send it back." The painting was returned, this time with a beige dress and green outline.
Over a decade later, Peter got in touch with Fred Hughes once again to see if there were any other paintings of Mary-Jean in existence, after learning that the artist, who had recently died, had been far more prolific than people had realised. A few months later they found one, and then another. "One of them is in green and, despite the family superstition, it's actually quite nice to have one in its original form," says Andrew.
1977, Andy Warhol, Mary-Jean Mitchell Green, in Light Green Dress (special exhibition) -- Bermuda National Gallery
From the museum label:
When Peter and Mary-Jean Mitchell Green unwrapped the portrait she had sat for, they discovered that she had been painted wearing a green dress, which unbeknownst to Warhol was against family superstition. "One of our ancestors was shot through the green of their tartan, so nobody in our clan wears any green," explains their son Andrew Green.
Peter called Warhol's manager, Fred Hughes, to explain the situation. "There was absolute shock. No one had ever declined a portrait before," says Andrew. "Hughes was very commercially minded," explains his brother Alexander. "He said fine, we'll sort it out. Send it back." The painting was returned, this time with a beige dress and green outline.
Over a decade later, Peter got in touch with Fred Hughes once again to see if there were any other paintings of Mary-Jean in existence, after learning that the artist, who had recently died, had been far more prolific than people had realised. A few months later they found one, and then another. "One of them is in green and, despite the family superstition, it's actually quite nice to have one in its original form," says Andrew.