Updated November 11, 2025. Along with being the most famous baritone of his day, Nelson Eddy was also a talented artist. He painted, sketched and sculpted. A few of his sculptures were used in his films.
The bust on the left is one of two that Nelson sculpted for the film I Married an Angel (1942). If you look closely, both busts appear on display—purportedly representing his character’s ancestors—during an early scene when Nelson rushes into the bank. He was also said to have painted the large portraits of his “banker ancestors” that hang on the bank’s walls, although these paintings remain in the background and are somewhat out of focus.
Nelson also sculpted his own rendition of Rodin’s The Kiss, using himself and Jeanette as models—a detail reported by New York Post columnist Cindy Adams, who noted that Nelson gave the sculpture to Jeanette as a Christmas gift! However, it remained at the studio and was very prominently featured in I Married an Angel. But which Christmas was it? One might assume 1941, during production of Angel. According to Jeanette’s autobiography (page 279), filming wrapped on December 23rd.
Nelson’s other artwork appeared in various films over the years, and it’s quite possible he gave The Kiss sculpture to Jeanette as a Christmas gift in 1939. Why 1939? Because he and Jeanette were filming New Moon at the time. Production began in late November, under strained circumstances—Jeanette hadn’t forgiven Nelson for marrying Ann Franklin. (Or rather, she told him she could forgive but not forget.) Yet by the Christmas break, they were very much reconciled, making such an intimate, romantic gift entirely plausible.
A less likely possibility is Christmas 1940. That theory stems from the sculpture’s appearance in When Ladies Meet, a Joan Crawford–Robert Taylor–Greer Garson film released in August 1941. But it’s doubtful Nelson gave it to Jeanette in 1940. Yes, it was in Nelson’s nature to showcase his feelings for Jeanette through subtly obvious gestures—like placing the sculpture in a film they shared. But neither of them was filming at MGM in late 1940, which further weakens that theory.
So again, 1939 seems the most likely. Like some other pieces Nelson created, the sculpture stayed at the studio. After all, how could Jeanette take it home and display it openly in the house she shared with Gene Raymond?
Nelson painted several portraits of Jeanette MacDonald over the years, though none have publicly surfaced. One was described as depicting her in a garden, and another—more familiar to fans—was featured in the montage sequence of Sweethearts, shown at the top of this page.
After Nelson’s death, some of his artwork was sold to fans by his widow, Ann Eddy. However, she reportedly destroyed other pieces, and due to her bitterness toward Jeanette, it’s it was believed that none of the Jeanette portraits survived. That said, a member of Ann Eddy’s family once emailed to clarify that not all of Nelson’s nude paintings of Jeanette were burned; some still remain in their possession.
Many fans have seen one particular nude drawing of Jeanette: her curly hair appears wet, as if she’s just stepped out of the shower, and a small baby bump is subtly highlighted. Though undated, the large drawing seems to correspond with her 1938 pregnancy. Nelson created additional drawings of Jeanette—some reportedly at Lake Tahoe—but their whereabouts remain unknown.
At least some of the torso studies Nelson did of Jeanette have survived and been shared. In the examples below, he captures her form with striking accuracy, especially her bust. These pages are excerpted from Mac/Eddy Today Issue #76, which features a full article on Nelson’s work as an artist. What’s shown here is just a sampling.
Shown below is a montage of four surviving paintings by Nelson, including an unfinished clown, an unidentified nude, the red rocking chair, and a landscape titled Remembrance of New England. Additional nudes, landscapes and drawings can be found in Mac/Eddy Today Issue #76, as referenced above.
And finally, collectors have the opportunity to own a Limited Edition replica of a bust sculpted by Nelson Eddy himself. As mentioned earlier, some of Nelson’s artwork remained at MGM—including a trio of busts created around the same time. These were discovered in a sound stage that had served as a storage unit for decades. A collector/dealer purchased the contents sight unseen and was initially unable to identify the subjects or the artist’s signature. Fortunately, his mother—a veteran of the classic Hollywood era—recognized them immediately.
We were contacted to help verify the pieces, and thanks to existing photographs of Nelson sculpting two of the busts, authentication was straightforward. The third bust also bore the artist’s initials and unmistakably depicted Nelson himself. We were fortunate to acquire all three, which were in remarkably good condition and required minimal restoration.
The trio includes a life-size self-portrait of Nelson, a bust of Jeanette MacDonald, and one of actress Anna May Wong. All three are signed on the back, and both the Jeanette and Anna May Wong busts are dated. The Jeanette original is the only one not sculpted life-size; the photo below shows Nelson working on it in its unfinished state. We now have the completed piece. Due to popular demand for a “matching” set of Nelson and Jeanette, the Jeanette bust was carefully enlarged to life size.
Note: our photos of these busts do not do the sculptures justice. It is difficult to photograph them “in person” and capture the real look of them. They are quite striking “in person”.
Above: Nelson sculpting Anna May Wong. Right, the finished product front and back, showing his initials and date which we assume means 4-3 or 1943. All of his sculptures are similarly signed.
Below left, Nelson on the set of “I Married An Angel” working on the Jeanette bust. The hair was later finished and the entire bust painted in a bronze color, as you can see to the right. (This bust has been enlarged slightly so it is life size and thus a matching pair to the Nelson self-portrait bust below.)
Below, Nelson’s self-portrait. Each of the three busts is signed with his initials on the back.
Please email if you are interested in owning replicas of any of these.