PORTRAIT OF GENTLEMAN Jennefer and Rick Guthrie curate a serene studio with a rich history for their talented friend
Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photos by Matt Harrington
The historic Samuel Tilden Mansion located at 14 & 15 Gramercy Park South in New York City is the home of The National Arts Club. Samuel Tilden, the 25th Governor of New York and founder of the New York Public Library, acquired the property in 1863 and hired architect Calvert Vaux, one of the designers of Central Park, to modernize the building in the Aesthetic Movement style. This National Historic Landmark houses the studio of acclaimed portraitist Michael Shane Neal, a sixth-generation Nashvillian. To date, Neal has completed more than 500 commissioned portraits, including Nashvillians U.S. Senator Bill Frist, Congressman John Lewis, Jon Meacham, Martha Ingram, John Seigenthaler, as well as President George H.W. Bush and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
The studio was initially occupied by Frank Vincent Dumond (whose students included Norman Rockwell and Georgia O’Keeffe), followed by Neal’s mentor, Everett Raymond Kinstler, who painted in the space for 66 years. Fate intervened when Neal was awarded the lease and became the studio’s next occupant. Thus, Neal became the steward of this exceptional space with a profoundly personal provenance. Neal is only the third painter to work in the studio in over 100 years. He turned to his friends of over 20 years, Jennefer and Rick Guthrie of Interior Anthology, to design the studio into a showplace that reflects Neal’s own impeccable gentlemanly style. The result is a live/work environment that takes full advantage of the historic architectural elements, high ceilings, and north-facing windows overlooking Gramercy Park.
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