Portrait of the Artist’s Wife

A long time ago, I drew this sketch of my wife. She was a fantastic model, being patient and forgiving, which was fortunate as I did not really know what I was doing (feeble tonal work and erratic handling). All the same, it was not a bad likeness.

Caroline, 29.2 x 20.3cm, pencil on paper, 1986

Recently, I had another go, but this time in oils. Although I still have a great model, she now has a better idea of what she can expect from me.

I went through a lot of Old Masters to have a look at their versions of their wives, not so much for inspiration but just out of curiosity. Some of the portraits are well known. Unfortunately, as a few of my favourite artists  (Sargent, Reynolds, Lawrence) never married, there were no wives for them to paint.

Isabella Brandt by Peter Paul Rubens, 86 x 62cm, oil on canvas, c.1625, Uffizi Gallery

Saskia van Uylenburg by Rembrandt, oil on canvas, 65 x 48cm c. 1634 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Mary Ruthven by Van Dyck, oil on canvas, 104 x 81cm, c. 1639, Museo Nacional del Prado

Emma Zorn by Anders Zorn, oil on canvas, 40 x 60cm, 1887, Zorn Museet, Mora

Ann Edgar, Lady Raeburn by Sir Henry Raeburn, oil on canvas, 147 x 112cm, private collection

The Artist, Helene Fourment and their son Peter Paul, oil on panel, 204 x 159cm, c.1639 by Peter Paul Rubens, Metropolitan Musuem of Art

Margaret Gainsborough by Thomas Gainsborough, 76 x 64cm, oil on canvas, c. 1758, Gemäldegalerie Berlin

Anyway, below is my portrait, after a 26 year hiatus, and for those who wanted to ask, yes, she is a schoolmistress.

Caroline, oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, 2013