return MARTHA GRAHAM (1894-1991) by Paul Meltsner (1905-1966) Martha Graham's career as a pioneer in modern American dance spanned more than six decades. Beginning in 1916, she studied for several years in Los Angeles with Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, but her revolutionary style was developed while teaching dance at the Eastman School of Music in the 1920s. Dances such as Immigrant, Revolt, and Heretic initially generated much controversy, but over the years her ambitious, original works such as Letter to the World, Appalachian Spring, and Clytemnestra began winning broad acceptance. The powerful and dynamic technique she developed is seen by many as a lasting alternative to classical ballet. A native New Yorker, Paul Meltsner was known initially for his portrayal of industrial scenes. But in the mid-1930s he began to paint portraits of actors and other performers, including Carmen Miranda, Lynn Fontanne, Gertrude Lawrence, and Dorothy Stickney. Meltsner's portrayal of Graham is said to have been based on her appearance in "Tragic Holiday" from her work Chronicle, which she first performed in December 1936. Oil on canvas, circa 1940 National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution T/NPG.73.41.01 return