Dimensions: support: 406 x 508 mm frame: 560 x 660 x 95 mm
Copyright: © Tate | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is Sir Lawrence Gowing’s “Mrs. Roberts,” housed here at the Tate. Editor: It's a beautifully somber portrait. The muted palette creates a quietly intense mood. Curator: Gowing painted this portrait, an oil on canvas, while he was an art teacher in Newcastle during World War II. Editor: You can almost feel the weight of the time in her expression. The brushstrokes are so raw, giving a glimpse into a very private moment. Curator: Gowing aimed to portray the psychological depth of his subjects, and "Mrs. Roberts" certainly reflects the social mood of wartime Britain. Editor: There’s a sense of resilience and quiet dignity there. A powerful painting, reflecting the strength that lies beneath everyday life. Curator: Indeed. Gowing captures a unique balance between personal introspection and collective experience.
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A student at the Euston Road School, Lawrence Gowing attended throughout its existence. This later portrait of Mrs Ellen Roberts, the Gowings' cleaning lady, was painted at their home in Paultons Square, Chelsea. In 1945 the Daily Sketch reported the sitter's comments: 'It's me, isn't it? Perhaps in another hundred years I will be hanging in a national museum'. In 1983 Sir Lawrence described Mrs Roberts as 'gaunt and gracious'. He also recalled how, when studying the work of Masaccio at that time, he 'realised that not only the transverse lighting but the unidealised sympathy and the visual authenticity that I prized in painting were all his invention'. Gallery label, August 2004
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