PIUS XI, Pope (1922)
Three-quarter length standing, holding a scroll. Oil on canvas, 50” x 40”. Signed and dated lower right ‘A. Muller Ury, Vaticano 1922’.
Location:
Present whereabouts unknown.
Exhibitions:
DUVEEN GALLERIES, 720, Fifth Avenue, New York, April 6 – 18, 1925, No. 1
Bibliography:
The New York Herald, Sunday, November 5, 1922 – “Painting the Pope’s Portrait” by Willis Steell, pp. 5 & 20 (reproduced)
American Art News, Vol. XXIII, No. 27, April 11, 1925
Schweizer Zeitung/American Swiss Gazette, Thursday, April 23, 1925
Current History, New York, March 28, 1928, p. xxxii (reproduced)
Achilles Ambrose Damian Ratti was born on May 31, 1857. He was elected Pope on February 6, 1922 and died on February 10, 1939.
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The Duluth Herald, Monday July 17, 1922, announced AMERICAN ARTIST WILL PAINT POPE’S PORTRAIT on its front page, and that the artist (photographed) had sailed on the Berengaria recently with a commission to paint the Pope. Muller-Ury arrived in Rome to paint his first portraits of Pope Pius XI on September 1, 1922, and started work on them ten days later. He left Rome on October 11, 1922. At this time he executed three pictures of the Pope. In March 1923 the Pope created Muller-Ury a Knight of St. Gregory the Great.
Muller-Ury described his activities at the Vatican in a letter to Archbishop Hayes of New York written from the North American College in Rome on September 20, 1922 (Archdiocesan Archives, Yonkers 4, New York: Box Q – 7):
‘My dear Archbishop
I just want to let you know that I am here in Rome to paint the Portrait of the Pope & as I stated to you some time ago I am painting one for you wich if nobody else will give same to Your Grace I will personaly do so & at my return end of October I will present the same soon after my arrival!
The Holy Father is certainly not only most artistic, but even for an artist on of the most fascinating & complicated personality. His serious & dignified expression is so full of magnetism & charm – & everybody loves him & cannot help to do so. — I am painting on the Loggia next to his apartment for over two weeks & will stay there until the 10th of Oct. – when I leave for Paris to sail back on the Aquitania the 14 of Oct. — My good friend Mon. O’Hern is a great deal with me & does everything to make matters pleasant for me – but I am working at the Vatican from 8 am. until night – & so cannot give him as much time as I would like — We had a great rest at Andermatt & that will help me to do some good work here — I hope your Grace had an ideal summer & sending my best regards I remain
Your obedient, Adolfo Muller Ury.’
Muller-Ury gave a smaller portrait to Archbishop Hayes in late 1922. Muller-Ury had evidently not completed this portrait when he left Rome for he borrowed on his return to America a rochetta belonging to Archbishop Hanna of San Francisco in order to do so, as two letter-cards written by him in October 1923 indicate (Chancery Archives, Archdiocese of San Francisco), The first is dated October 14, 1923:
‘…I am hard at work finishing the Rochetta for the Pope’s portrait & will soon return by mail & registered the Rochetta you kindly let me have…’
The second is dated October 26, 1923:
‘…I sended (sic) today the rochetta – registered & by mail & I hope it will reach St. Francisco in good time & good condition – Millions of thanks for all your great kindnesses…’
This picture was perhaps originally destined for the Catholic University in Washington D.C. (see New York Herald, November 5, 1922).
