Sir William Nicholson

Lady in Furs, Mme. P.

c.1907

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Not on display

Artist: Sir William Nicholson 1872–1949
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 908 × 705 mm
frame: 1305 × 1100 × 138 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by R. Phillipson through the Art Fund 1927
Reference: N03689

Display caption

In his early work, Nicholson prefered a dark range of colours. The grandiose gilt frame, which was probably given to this portrait by its first owner, contributes to its 'old master' look. It is not known who 'Mme.P.' was, but she may well have been the wife of the R.Phillipson who gave the portrait to the Gallery in 1922.
The portrait was first exhibited at an annual 'Exhibition of Fair Women' in 1909. These exhibitions mixed British old master portraits with contemporary work, so that the standard of the eighteenth century could be compared to that of modern art.

Gallery label, September 2004

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Catalogue entry

N03689 THE LADY IN FURS, MME P. c. 1907

Not inscribed.
Canvas, 35 3/4×27 3/4 (91×70·5).
Presented by R. Phillipson through the National Art-Collections Fund 1922.
Exh: International Society, Exhibition of Fair Women, New Gallery, February–March 1909 (150); Canadian National Exhibition, Department of Fine Arts, Toronto, August–September 1910 (13).
Lit: Browse, 1956, p.40.

Probably a portrait of the donor's wife. Dated c. 1903 by Browse for stylistic reasons but the costume suggests a date of c. 1907.

Published in:
Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, London 1964, II