Galerie Adrienne, San Francisco, California
Private Collection, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1995 (acquired from the above; sold: Burchard Galleries, St. Petersburg, Florida, April 24, 2016, lot 1165)
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

According to a letter from Henry Adams, “The Quartet is a wonderfully charming and intimate glimpse into this musical interlude of Benton's life, and wonderfully captures the body-language of the musicians.” The painting belongs to a group of works that Benton executed in the late 1940s and early 1950s portraying classical musicians. At this point, Benton's son, T.P., was studying the flute, and Benton often had small concerts of classical and folk music in his home. This painting is believed to depict four musicians from the Kansas City Orchestra practicing in Benton's living room.