About the artist:

Mr. Banks was a society portrait painter whose clients were in New York, Newport and Palm Beach. Banks drew from models. Banks used as subjects friends from the New York City Ballet. A notice from 1962: "Lobster Pot Gallery Nantucket, Massachusetts Presents July 15-20 {1962}RICHARD BANKS. This is the frist Nantucket showing of paintings by the young Palm Beach Artist Richard Banks. Mr. Banks studied at the Norton Gallery of Art. His paintings are contemporary in spirit and arrestingly realistic. It is Mr. Banks' feeling that the grace and flow of line in his work can be attributed to his experience in musical composition. His talent for design and color are immediately evident. At present Mr. Banks' paintings are in many private collections including those of: Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale, Mr. Carl Van Vechten, Mr. and Mrs. James Reid Parker, General William Young." Mr. Banks was included in a Portraits in Review: 1962-1963 Portraits Inc.{Gallery}, 136 East 57th Street New York, New York - May 15 through May 29, 1963. Some of his Exhibitions in the 1960's were: Palm Beach Galleries, Palm Beach 1962; Lobster Pot Gallery Nantucket 1961-62; Southampton Gallery, Southhampton, L.I. 1962; New York City Center, New York City 1963; Newman Art Gallery Philadelphia, PA 1963; Cushing Memorial Hall, Newport Rhode Island 1963; Galaxy Gallery, Phoenix Arizona 1964; Palm Beach Galleries, Palm Beach Feb 1964. From and article in Dance Magazine March 1963 titled: "Impressions in Paint and Words": "Alicia Markova, who recently announced her retirement from active dance, continues her career as choreographer and lecturer. The lovely ballerina, famed for her delicate, Romantic style, is seen here, late January, with Richard Banks and his portrait-in-progress of her. 'I was unprepared and facinated by the directness of her gaze' says Mr. Banks, 'and how different she is on and off-stage.' 'Dancers,' says Richard Banks, 'are special people.' Allegra Kent 'is not flesh and bones - she's really air!' and Alicia Markova to the painter, is 'like Mt. Olympus.' Born and brought up in the elegant atmosphere of Palm Beach, Mr. Banks has been and commercial and fashion artist and more recently a successful society painter. With an ability to readily capture the likeness of a subject, he started with portraits in tempera and changed to oils. He has always admired the beauty of his dancer-friends, and so, with no thought of profit as motivation, he has focused his attention on making a record of their unique radiance. His portraits, most of which are life size - five or six feet, are accomplished in one or two sittings. He doesn't want the dancers to pose in movement. And yet, since a non-dancer pose might be static, he searches for a charasteristic stance. He uses color to catch what he considers the aura of the individual personality. March 12 - April 21, in conjunction with the N.Y.C. Ballet's spring season, City Center Galleries presents an exhibition of Richard Bank's portraits of dancers . . ."