Gwen John

1 portrait on display in Room 29 at the National Portrait Gallery

Gwen John

by Gwendolen Mary ('Gwen') John
oil on canvas, circa 1900
24 in. x 14 7/8 in. (610 mm x 378 mm)
Given by The Art Fund to mark Sir Alec Martin's 40 years service to the fund, 1965
Primary Collection
NPG 4439

Click on the links below to find out more:

Sitterback to top

Gwendolen Mary ('Gwen') John (1876-1939), Painter; sister of Augustus John. Sitter in 3 portraits, Artist of 1 portrait.

Artistback to top

Gwendolen Mary ('Gwen') John (1876-1939), Painter; sister of Augustus John. Artist of 1 portrait, Sitter in 3 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This self-portrait was painted when Gwen John was at the beginning of her artistic career. She had followed her brother Augustus to the Slade School of Art in London, where she studied from 1895 to 1898, winning a prize for figure composition. On leaving she worked briefly in Paris with Whistler and returned to London in 1899, where she began to exhibit her work and where this portrait appears to have been painted. It is one of two self-portraits from this period: the other is in the Tate Gallery, and presents a somewhat wistful characterisation of the artist, whereas here the jutting hand on hip and a stance which seems deliberately to burst the bounds of the picture frame, allied to an expression of watchful superiority, indicate a much more confident view of herself.

Linked publicationsback to top

Audio Guide
Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 39
Cooper, John, Visitor's Guide, 2000, p. 86
Cooper, John, A Guide to the National Portrait Gallery, 2009, p. 45
Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1996, p. 39
Gibson, Robin, Painting The Century: 101 Portrait Masterpieces 1900-2000, 2000 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 26 October 2000 to 4 February 2001), p. 38
Ribeiro, Aileen, The Gallery of Fashion, 2000, p. 200
Rideal, Liz, Mirror Mirror: Self-portraits by Women Artists, 2001 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 12 September 2001 to 20 January 2002), p. 49
Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 170
Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery, 1997, p. 170