Louis Betts 

(1873-1961)

Pictures that come in pairs (or at least presented by dealers and auctions as pairs) hold a special attraction… and the implication that they “mustn’t be split up,” so you have to buy both. At the time I obtained this pair in 1986, I concluded that these were as “loose” as I can grasp and appreciate. I recognized the great sense of freedom and spontaneity that the artist obviously felt, no longer bound by the exactitude of portrait commissions or illustration requirements. Despite pushing me to the edge, I really liked the works and the fact that they were executed in Old Lyme, most likely on Florence Griswold’s property. Betts captured the sense of color and freedom in similar but larger compositions, one entitled Ladies of Old Lyme, resides at the Montclair Art Museum. I have fallen for “pairs” on a number of occasions in subsequent years.