This is an original oil on board by Edna Reindel - believed to be the Hollywood Actress -   Benita Hume Colman

Oil on board, signed and dated upper right 'Edna Reindel 1948', 64.6 x 54.4 cm 

Are You Interested in Hollywood Memorabilia?

A striking portrait by the American artist Edna Reindel. I recently did some deep research into the subject, and I'm now convinced this is a portrait of Benita Hume Colman — the accomplished British actress and wife of Hollywood legend Ronald Colman.

Here's why I believe this:
The Smithsonian connection — Edna Reindel's papers at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art include personal correspondence with Benita Hume Colman. This establishes a direct, documented relationship between the artist and the subject.

The companion portrait — The Smithsonian records also show that Reindel painted a Portrait of Ronald Colman in 1948 — the very same year as this "Portrait of a Lady." It is entirely plausible, even likely, that she was commissioned to paint the couple together that year.

The likeness — The subject's dark hair, green eyes, and elegant yet understated bearing are entirely consistent with photographs of Benita Hume from the late 1940s (see comparison images).

Who was Benita Hume Colman? Born in London in 1906, she appeared in over 40 films between 1925 and 1955, from British silents to Hollywood talkies. She starred opposite Cary Grant, and alongside her husband Ronald Colman in the beloved radio and TV comedy The Halls of Ivy. Ronald Colman himself was one of Hollywood's greatest leading men — an Oscar winner and a giant of the Golden Age of cinema.

At a USA Hollywood Memorabilia auction, this could fetch over $10,000

Disclaimer - Our prints/original art are purchased from various dealers, auctions and sales as "genuine" some with Certificates of Authentication", and are sold by us as such. However, in the unlikely event that the article is not genuine, we will make an immediate and full refund, without hesitation, if the item is returned to us in exactly the same condition  it was received, with no damage, marks or folds, within 14 days of receipt.