four vertically configured sheets of yellowish paper (received affixed together with tape) of different sizes; top sheet has symmetrical design similar to an aerial view of a garden with green grounds, central square area with red path, white paths with tear-drop shaped elements near center, curving brown paths, and blue streams with bridges in corners; second sheet from top has overall repeating designs with red deiamonds with blue rectangles, large openwork floral forms in green and brown, and green grid; second sheet from bottom has a symmetrical design with two arches with red, brown, and green, with horizontal bands at top and three rows of arches surrounding forms, with brown elements at bottom; bottom sheet is text: George Ade / (Very generous about letting people enjoy the extensive / grounds on his estate in Indiana)

George Ade, c.1935

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Mary Sully's "personality portraits" were created in New York City, where the artist lived with her sister Ella Deloria, the first Native American woman ethnographer. Exposed to an art world of abstraction, modernism, and Art Nouveau, Sully drew upon these genres and infused Dakota aesthetics and values in conversation with them.

In this work, Sully creates a personality portrait of George Ade to evoke his reputation of hospitality and generosity. Ade was an American writer, syndicated newspaper columnist, and playwright, and built a grand estate, made accessible to communities and children. The top panel suggesting paths of his grand estate, and the middle panel transitions from the first in kaliedescope fashion in an Art Nouveau style. Fully quilled moccasins appear on the bottom panel, referencing Sully's visual gesture to Ade's generosity and respect, as quilled moccasins are given to others for these individual qualities.

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Details
Title
George Ade
Artist Life
(Dakota), 1896 - 1963
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2023.56.4
Curator Approved

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four vertically configured sheets of yellowish paper (received affixed together with tape) of different sizes; top sheet has symmetrical design similar to an aerial view of a garden with green grounds, central square area with red path, white paths with tear-drop shaped elements near center, curving brown paths, and blue streams with bridges in corners; second sheet from top has overall repeating designs with red deiamonds with blue rectangles, large openwork floral forms in green and brown, and green grid; second sheet from bottom has a symmetrical design with two arches with red, brown, and green, with horizontal bands at top and three rows of arches surrounding forms, with brown elements at bottom; bottom sheet is text: George Ade / (Very generous about letting people enjoy the extensive / grounds on his estate in Indiana)
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