Self Portrait

Greenman was a renowned portrait painter in the museum’s midst: she taught portraiture next door at what is now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She often painted the socialites of New York, Hollywood, and Florida, and in her self-portrait she portrays herself as the stylish society lady she was. In the 1920s, Greenman experimented with modern Expressionist elements, such as brash oranges, greens, and purples—radical by Minneapolis standards, which is perhaps why she painted herself against what appears to be Paris. Recent conservation of this picture was made possible by a generous contribution from Sam and Patty McCullough through the Art Champions program.