Madeleine Knox
- Artist: Harold Gilman
- Date: c.1910–1
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 608 x 454 x 16 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Madeleine Knox” by Harold Gilman, painted around 1910–11 in oil on canvas. Gilman captures a quiet domestic scene that feels almost still, as if the room itself is holding its breath. The soft, muted colours and dappled brushwork give the whole composition a gentle, almost meditative atmosphere. Knox is depicted standing, fingers brushing the edge of her coat. It’s hard to tell whether she has just come in from somewhere or is about to leave—her pose is intentionally ambiguous, letting the viewer project their own story onto her.
The portrait doesn’t give much away about Knox’s profession or personality; instead, it invites us into this intimate moment of quiet contemplation. Gilman, a key figure in the Camden Town Group, was only 43 when he died in the post‑war influenza epidemic. “Madeleine Knox” sits in the 1890‑1915 collection at Tate Britain, a testament to the subtle depth of early twentieth‑century British portraiture.
See it in person
Madeleine Knox is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, 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.
