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Self Portrait, Laura Knight, 1913
When Self Portrait by Laura Knight went on show in 1913 the critics were astounded.
Women artists painting themselves was nothing new, but they were expected to pose as conventional subjects, dressed appropriately in their Sunday best. Yet here was Knight with her back to the viewer, wearing lumpy work clothes and flourishing the tools of her trade: a canvas and brush.
At a time when women were campaigning fiercely for the vote, Knight’s insistence on portraying herself as an independent professional sent a clear message. But that wasn’t all.
What really shocked the art establishment was that Knight had dared to show herself in the process of painting a nude figure.It made no difference that the model, Ella Naper, was female and a friend.
'Laura Knight Portraits’ is at the National Portrait Gallery, London WC2 (npg.org.uk) from 11 July to 13 October 2013.
