Virginia Woolf (née Stephen)

Sitterback to top

• Virginia Woolf (née Stephen) (1882-1941), Novelist and critic; sister of Vanessa Bell. Sitter in 62 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky) (1890-1976), Photographer and artist. Artist of 14 portraits, Sitter in 15 portraits.

This portraitback to top

The novelist Virginia Woolf visited Man Ray's exhibition at Lund Humphries in London on 26 November 1934 and was asked by the photographer to sit to him. In his autobiography Man Ray recorded that he put lipstick on Virginia Woolf's mouth, explaining that it was for technical reasons and would not show in the photograph. Virginia's husband, Leonard Woolf, described this as by far the best photograph ever taken of her.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Parris, Matthew, Heroes and Villains: Scarfe at the National Portrait Gallery, 2003 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 30 September 2003 to 4 April 2004), p. 136

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

• Women Writers (9 December 2006 - 17 June 2007)