 | Accessible version |
This guided tour will look at the portrait 'Mrs. Mounter' which can be seen on the right.
Harold John Gilman painted Mrs. Mounter in 1916. It measures 91.8cm x 61.5cm.
Before we begin the tour you may want to spend a few seconds looking at the picture and getting to know it a little.
If you do not wish to take this guided tour but would like find out more about this portrait, you can do so here.
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First look at Mrs. Mounter. She is sitting bolt upright and looks rather shy.
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Her face is a strange colour, lots of colours in fact, and the paint is very thick. This does not make her look pretty. She probably did not commission (pay for) this painting.
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In the foreground (the front of the painting) we see teacups and a teapot. This gives us a clue to her profession - she is a landlady.
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The cups and teapot are large and they sparkle. This makes them seem closer to the viewer and gives depth to the painting.
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Now look at the room around her. It is very bright. Even the background, which is usually darker in portraits, is very bright. Gilman has used very vivid colours and light.
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So, we know that this woman was a landlady. She did not pay for this painting. She looks slightly uncomfortable.
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Other things you should remember or think about are:
More information on this portrait and Harold Gilman is available here. Otherwise you can click on the link above to return to the Portrait Detectives main page.
