Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s portrait depicts Gertrude Vanderbilt in a rose garden, her plump cheeks and chin displaying youthful charm. The artist was skilled at capturing the individuality and liveliness of his subjects. This portrait was among several Saint-Gaudens made for the dining room of the Vanderbilt’s Fifth-Avenue mansion. Gertrude Vanderbilt later became a sculptor herself, as well as a great supporter of American artists and founder of New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art.