Jeune Fille (à la lampe) (Young Girl by Lamplight)

1915/1919

Gwen John

Associated Names
Gwen John

Artist, British, 1876 - 1939

The image is a pencil sketch of a person's upper body facing forward with head slightly turned to the left. The shoulder and facial features, like eyes, lips, nose, and hair are detailed. The clothing is also sketched with light strokes, and the person seems to be holding part of the garment near the neck. The background is plain without any distinct elements.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    charcoal and graphite

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mimi and Sanford Feld

  • Dimensions

    overall: 23.2 x 20.2 cm (9 1/8 x 7 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2005.143.8

More About this Artwork

In this black and white photograph, a woman wearing a black dress leans toward an arched mirror set into a wall, so we see the woman twice in this double portrait. We are situated slightly below her so we look up at the woman, who gazes down and to our right. The surface of the wall is smooth but lightly textured, like adobe. Trees reflected in the mirror indicate that this is outdoors. The woman in front of us takes up the left half of the composition. She faces our right in profile and leans to our right, at the far edge of the mirror. Her dark hair is pulled up in ribbon entwined braids. She wears long, chandelier style earrings and her high-necked black dress has puffed, lace sleeves. We see her face straight on in the mirror’s reflection. The woman’s distinctive brows knit together over her rounded nose.

Article:  15 LGBTQ+ Artists to Know

Discover the lives of 15 LGBTQ+ artists and their art, much of which you can see at the National Gallery.

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gift from the artist to Vera Oumancoff, December 3, 1928; Private collection; Davis & Langdale Company, Inc., New York; Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Feld, Far Hills, NJ; partial gift to NGA, 2005.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1987

  • Langdale, Cecily. Gwen John. New Haven and London, 1987: no. 256 and pl. 69.

Inscriptions

verso of mount: Jeune fille (à la lampe) Dec. 3. 28 [note: this is the date the drawing was given to Véra Oumançoff, not the date it was executed]

Wikidata ID

Q64572820

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