Model with Spanish Hat (left profile)

By the time of his death in 1938, Mathias Alten had gained national and international renown for a body of work that included his observations of Grand Rapids over a period of 50 years. Long recognized for their artistic merit, these works are also important historical documents. The vents, people, and scenes he painted preserve Michigan's second city at one of the most vibrant periods in its history. The model's name is Ida Mae Harveson and there is a similar portrait of her in a ball-fringed hat, but at right profile, which is owned by the Spectrum Health Systems in Grand Rapids.