MYSTERY SOLVED: The Mystery of Carl Holty, Joan Miro, and others at tea, circa 1947

Four men and one woman sit at a table, drinking tea and talking in an artist's studio.
Photograph of Carl Holty, Joan Miró, Dolores Miró, and others at tea, circa 1947. Carl Holty papers, circa 1860s-1972.

The Mystery:

The group gathers around a table, sometime after the arrival of the Miros to the United States in early 1947. Holty lent Miro studio space to use as he completed his mural commission for the Terrace Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. At this time, Calas was organizing the show "Bloodflames 1947" for Hugo Gallery, which included artists Arshile Gorky, Wilfredo Lam, Roberto Matta, Isamu Noguchi, and Helen Phillips.

Tacked up in the background is a copy or reproduction of El Greco's Saint Andrew, circa 1610, and El Greco's Saint Gerome, circa 1610, both housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What: A group of five enjoying tea together

Where: Likely the studio of the unidentified artist--see unfinished sketches on the walls for clues to who this may be

When: approximately March 1947

Who: (L to R) Carl Holty, Deloris Miro, Joan Miro, unidentified figure, Nicolas Calas

Help us solve the mystery: Who is the bearded man? And where was this photo taken?

The Solution:

Photograph of Carl Holty, Joan Miro, Teresa Orrego, Andre Racz, and Thomas Bouchard at tea, circa 1948

What: A group of five enjoying tea together

Where: Andre Racz’s studio in Harlem, located at 149 East 119th Street.

When: August 1948

Who: (L to R) Carl Holty, Teresa Orrego, Joan Miro, Andre Racz, Thomas Bouchard

Teresa Orrego was a mezzo-soprano who was then Racz’s girlfriend (eventually his wife). Racz also taught Miro at Atelier 17 and lent him his workshop to make the sketches for the mural at the Terrace Café in Cincinnati. Miró needed a large workshop like the one Racz had in Harlem. They were good friends, and Miró served as a witness at Racz’s and Orrego’s wedding in on September 27, 1947. Bouchard, a film maker, on the right of the photograph, made a film about Miro.

The sketch of the female figure on the easel behind Racz is likely of Teresa Orrego and is consistent with the other mother/child drawings Racz was making at this time.

How to Get In Touch:

If you have leads, clues, or ideas of who the unknown individuals may be , email us at AAAMysteries@si.edu. Your email should include:

  1. Your first and last name
  2. Your organization, if applicable
  3. Your preferred mode of contact, should we need to reach you (e.g. email address or phone number)
  4. The photo name (for which you are identifying the unknown individual)
  5. The name of the individual you believe is the unidentifiable figure in the photo or any information you may have that could help us identify the individual
  6. Your level of certainty in the information you provided

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