Trivial Pursuit: Arts & Literature

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Henrique Medina  -  The Picture of Dorian Gray 

Picture of Dorian Gray (detail)

First signs that painting is changing even though Dorian, the person,
remains the same.

American actor Hurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray gazing upon his portrait

In the 1945 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, director Albert Lewin used multiple artists to create the before and after portraits of the title character, played by American actor Hurd Hatfield.  Ivan Le Lorraine Albright was chosen to paint the hideous portrait of Gray revealed at the end of the movie, while his identical twin brother, Malvin Albright was originally hired to paint the classical image of Gray from the early part of the film.  For reasons unclear, Malvin Albright was replaced by another artist, Portugese painter Henrique Medina, but, at least for marketing hype, Malvin was photographed by Life Magazine while working alongside Ivan on the "evil"portrait.

Ivan and Malvin Albright working on The Picture of Dorian Gray.  To the right can be seen the
 mannequin from which they are painting.

The decaying mannequin for painting from "life."

Ivan Albright, who alone is credited with the aged and corrupt portrait of Dorian Gray, donated the painting to The Art Institute of Chicago in 1977, where it still hangs.  Medina's portrait of Gray (Hatfield) apparently sold at auction several years ago for $25,000 to a private collector, and its whereabouts are currently unknown.

Ivan Albright  -  Picture of Dorian Gray  -   85 X 42 in.

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see also Box Office Magazine.