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The Complete Works of Philippe Smit
by Andreas Narzt and Florence Castellani

Catalogue entry

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Photo: Christopher Burke Studios, NY; © FdDPS
Series
Keywords
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Classification: Pastel
Theme: figurative
Medium: Pastel
Support: On cardboard
Year: 1946
PS 537 (P 4006; LNC 241)
Portrait of Diene (Deana)
Alternate title: Diene Pitcairn as a young girl
1946
Pastel on cardboard
39 x 29 in. (99 x 73.5 cm) (sight size)
Signed and dated lower left: Philippe Smit/ 1946
The Lord's New Church, Bryn Athyn, PA
Inventories
Inv. Pitcairn, n.d. [c.1957], n.p., LNC archives: no. P 4006: Miss Diene [Deana] Pitcairn, Portrait of Diene [Deana], Pastel, 39 x 28 1/2 [in.].
Exhibitions
No known exhibitions.
Literature & Primary Sources
Niehaus 1955
Niehaus, Kasper. Philippe Smit, unkown genius. Revised and edited by Marjorie Bell. Typescript, 1955, p. 26, as Diene Pitcairn as a young girl.
Notes

Deana (Diene), fifth child of Theodore and Marijke Pitcairn, was born in 1933. Philippe Smit painted her during his last trip to the United States (end of 1945 to end of October 1946).
Deana, who drew and painted herself, found in Philippe Smit a mentor. Her desire to paint was entirely encouraged by him.1

1. See Siri Hurst, "2. Deana Pitcairn Duncan, Interview, March 22, 2006": Theodore Pitcairn Remembered, An anthology of interviews with family and friends and a draft timeline of his life, ©2013 by Glencairn museum, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, p. 3.

Record last updated January 18, 2017. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Narzt, Andreas and Castellani, Florence. "Portrait of Diene (Deana), 1946 (PS 537)." In The Complete Works of Philippe Smit. www.philippesmit.com/catalogue/entry.php?id=537 (accessed on December 3, 2025).