Berdie in the Garden

Larry Rivers’ mother-in-law, Bertha “Berdie” Burger, was his favorite model until she died in 1957. Rivers said of Berdie, “She was a devoted creature. Berdie is the closest thing I’ve ever known to a saint. … She had all the signs of even being a little dense, but like saints are thought to be, she had no ego. She seemed to just be glad to be around and happy to be alive.” Berdie in the Garden is just one of the many paintings that Rivers made of Berdie sitting in the garden of the house in Southhampton, New York. Conservation of this picture was made possible by a generous contribution from Al and Dena Naylor and Patty Canney through the Art Champions program.