March 8, 2018 International Women’s Day
Blanch E. Pine 1908 - 1986 Painting c 1940 Courtesy TJMM
While Emmett Pine may have been the head of the household, the real boss at home was his wife Blanch. Blanch was the daughter of Helen and Nelson DeFoe of Peru and had at least three siblings; a brother named Garfield a highly regarded doctor practicing in Maine, and at least two other sisters Helen who was younger and Lilian, age unknown. That is all I could dig up about Blanch. I spoke with some of their nieces and nephews who remembered her as quiet but definitely the “boss”.
Local papers from the 1930′s through the 70′s regularly reported on the DeFoe family’s travels and family members visiting Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Pine. When Lilian was married to Joseph A. Shoendorf the weekly news reported that Lilian was attended by her sister Mrs. E. J. Pine. The wedding announcement and funeral information for Hellen and Garfield also reported in the local newspapers. What’s missing is any additional information about Blanch, no wedding announcements and only a death announcement from Alexandria, VA, with no obituary. After Emmett’s passing, Blanch moved to the Alexandria, Va area where her son Juan lived and where she passed away in February 1986.
At least we have this wonderful painting of Blanch which Emmett titled “Femme Fatale” dating back to 1940. The painting is oil on flannel and is extremely fragile; the painted surface heavy with oil paint but missing the heft of canvass for support is quite delicate.
The title is perfect for this painting with Blanch in evening clothes wrapped in a mink stole. Pine painted her in this pose with her dark eyes drawing you in and lips painted with a slight upward curve. She’s hiding a secret...you want to know what it is but will you survive the encounter?
Back of Painting
Emmett often wrote notes on the back of his paintings; clues to the subject, date or the person or cause that the painting was intended for. The note above was likely added by Stan Ransom who purchased this painting from Pine’s Store. Stan was director of the North Country Library System and traveled through the region visiting libraries regularly. When in Keeseville he always stopped to see his friends Blanch and Emmett Pine.
This is the second painting I have come across painted on flannel fabric stretched over a wooden frame. The other painting of a moonlit marsh was also painted in the 1940′s. Canvas was in high demand for military production, tents, leggings water carriers, cots etc. Perhaps artists throughout the country had to come up with other material for their work.
Even more interesting is the remains of a painted canvas that had been cut out leaving the margins still attached to the stretchers.
The remaining margin is painted in the blues Pine typically used in his winter scenes.
So here we have this great painting of Blanch as a reminder that Emmett had a wife managing the household, caring for their son and running the store while Emmett painted, probably pulling him away from his easel from time to time to take care of the store and other family business waiting for his attention. Back then she did it as Mrs. E. J. Pine, today she would be Blanch Pine independent business women and mother.