On the back of the frame: "Albert Rosenthal, 1903.", Staake was a lawyer who became Judge of the Court of Common Pleas No. 5 for the County of Philadelphia in 1906.
The lawyer man has a fox's head and holds a scroll marked "law" in his hand. "Old Nick" is a name for the devil., Text: Noble expounder of that curse called law, / On you the Old Nick has placed his paw, / You rob your client of his hard-earned gold, / All he gets is law and that ten-fold, / You sly old Fox, with nasty books, / The thief shows plainly in your looks., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
Johnson was an eminent corporate lawyer and was involved in the case dealing with the building of the Ridgway Building. His art collection became the nucleus of the Philadelphia Museum of Art., LCP Annual Report May, 1939, p. 6, “By the kindness of Mr. William De Krafft the Library Company has become the possessor of the portrait of John G. Johnson, painted by Albert Rosenthal.”, Gift of William de Krafft, 1938., Exhibited by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the 112th Annual Exhibition, 1917.
The lawyer has a long nose and a bald spot on top of his head. He holds a piece of paper marked "Bill of." The sender rejects the recipient's marriage proposal., Text: In Hymen's Court you've filed your plea, / In suit on your behalf of me, / But be it known to your vexation, / That No is my fixed declaration., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
