The Face on the Barroom Floor (painting)
Encyclopedia
The Face on the Barroom Floor is a painting
on the floor of the Teller House
Bar in Central City, Colorado
, United States
. It was painted in 1936 by Herndon Davis.
; he was also requested to do some work at the Teller House. One afternoon at the bar he became embroiled in a heated argument with Ann Evans, the project director, about the manner in which his work should be executed. The upshot of the fight was that Davis was told to quit, or else he would be fired.
According to one version of the story, the painting was the suggestion of a busboy
named Joe Libby; knowing that Davis would soon be fired, he suggested that the artist "give them something to remember [him] by".
In Davis' own words,
Whatever the inspiration, Davis did not sign his work, and soon the bar's owners chose to capitalize on it. They advertised the painting as that from the poem "The Face on the Barroom Floor
" by Hugh Antoine D'Arcy
. The actual subject of the painting is Davis' wife Edna Juanita (Cotter) Davis "Nita". She lived at 1323 Kalamath st, Denver, Co
.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
on the floor of the Teller House
Teller House
Teller House is a historic hotel in Central City, Colorado. Built in 1872, the building also serves as a casino and restaurant.The bar at the Teller House is well known for the "Face on the Barroom Floor," a painting of a woman's face on the wooden floor, done in 1936 by local artist Herndon...
Bar in Central City, Colorado
Central City, Colorado
Central City is a home rule municipality in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Gilpin County. The city population was 515 in the 2000 United States Census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was painted in 1936 by Herndon Davis.
Story of the painting
Davis had been commissioned by the Central City Opera Association to paint a series of paintings for the Central City Opera HouseCentral City Opera House
The Central City Opera House located in the National Historic Landmark District in Central City, Colorado, USA was constructed in 1878 by Welsh and Cornish miners....
; he was also requested to do some work at the Teller House. One afternoon at the bar he became embroiled in a heated argument with Ann Evans, the project director, about the manner in which his work should be executed. The upshot of the fight was that Davis was told to quit, or else he would be fired.
According to one version of the story, the painting was the suggestion of a busboy
Busboy
Busser, busboy and busgirl are terms used in the United States for someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables and otherwise assisting the waiting staff....
named Joe Libby; knowing that Davis would soon be fired, he suggested that the artist "give them something to remember [him] by".
In Davis' own words,
The Central City Opera House Association hired me to do a series of paintings and sketches of the famous mining town, which they were then rejuvenating as an opera center and tourist attraction. I stayed at the Teller House while working up there, and the whim struck me to paint a face on the floor of the old Teller House barroom. In its mining boom heyday it was just such a floor as the ragged artist used in d’Arcy's famous old poem. But the hotel manager and the bartender would have none of such tomfoolery. They refused me permission to paint the face. Still the idea haunted me, and in my last night in Central City, I persuaded the bellboy Jimmy Libby to give me a hand. After midnight, when the coast was clear, we slipped down there. Jimmy held a candle for me and I painted as fast as I could. Yet it was 3 AM when I finished.
Whatever the inspiration, Davis did not sign his work, and soon the bar's owners chose to capitalize on it. They advertised the painting as that from the poem "The Face on the Barroom Floor
The Face on the Barroom Floor (poem)
"The Face upon the Barroom Floor", aka "The Face on the Floor" and "The Face on the Barroom Floor", is a poem written by Hugh Antoine d'Arcy in 1887 and first published in the New York Dispatch....
" by Hugh Antoine D'Arcy
Hugh Antoine d'Arcy
Hugh Antoine d'Arcy was a French-born poet and writer and a pioneer executive in the American motion picture industry. He is best known for his 1887 poem, The Face upon the Floor...
. The actual subject of the painting is Davis' wife Edna Juanita (Cotter) Davis "Nita". She lived at 1323 Kalamath st, Denver, Co
Chamber opera
The Teller House painting was the inspiration for a chamber opera by Henry MolliconeHenry Mollicone
Henry Mollicone is an American composer and musical instructor. He currently resides in Saratoga, California.-Career:Mollicone is known for his one-act operas, including Emperor Norton, Starbird, and The Mask of Evil. One of his most popular works is the one-act chamber opera The Face on the...
.