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The artist Ida Baumann was Swiss and specialised in character studies as well as portraits of the English gentry. Nothing is known of the sitter other than she is almost certainly English because her mourning clothes are black. The throne-like chair is a status symbol, indicating her position as matriarch of the family. Queen Victoria initiated the fashion for black mourning dresses for women, rather than white or grey, on the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861. During the Victorian period in England, rigid conventions dictated the length of time before mourning clothes could gradually be lightened by adding touches of grey and then white such as lace and pearls. This suggests that the lady in the portrait is not a recent widow.
Title
Portrait of a Lady
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 122 x W 86.7 cm
Accession number
A357
Acquisition method
unknown acquisition method
Work type
Painting