Mrs. Leonhardt is the daughter of Charleston architect Albert Simons. Her portrait was probably painted at the time when Hasselriis had an exhibition at the Gibbes Museum of Art, February - March 1963. The portrait exemplifies refinement and grace. Because of its fairly ample format and half-length pose, it resembles larger portraits on canvas. The stippling is quite pronounced.
According to legend, as a child growing up in Denmark, Hasselriis painted his first miniature on a piano key and was immediately captivated by the resuits. He studied with the Royal Mural Painters and Decorators in Copenhagen, but preferred "painting in little." Upon his arrival in this country in 1916 he became an active member of the American Society of Miniature Painters.
Notes:
This text is adapted from Martha Severens "The Miniature Portrait Collection of the Carolina Art Association" published by the Carolina Art Association, 1984
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