Eleanor Florence Rathbone
- Artist: Sir James Gunn
- Date: 1933
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 36 1/8 in. x 28 in. (918 mm x 712 mm)
- Portrays: Eleanor Florence Rathbone
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this oil on canvas, Sir James Gunn captures Ethel Florence Rathbone with a calm confidence. She sits alone against a muted background, her hands resting gently on her lap. The brushwork is detailed—Gunn renders the subtle folds of her dress and the soft light that falls across her face. Notice how he plays with shadow: the left side darker, creating depth while keeping her profile clear. This portrait was painted in 1933, a time when Rathbone’s work on family allowances had already begun to reshape British policy. She was one of only female students at Oxford in the 1890s and later an independent MP from 1929 until her death. When commissioned by admirers, she replied modestly: “I do not believe that I belong to the small class of people who justify public portraits.”
See it in person
Eleanor Florence Rathbone is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
