Mrs Mounter at the Breakfast Table
- Artist: Harold Gilman
- Date: 1916–17
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 610 x 406 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Mrs Mounter at the Breakfast Table” by Harold Gilman. Painted in 1916‑17, it shows Gilman’s landlady, Mrs Mounter, sitting at a modest table in her kitchen. Her face is flat and almost melancholy, a stark contrast to the bright, everyday objects around her – a tea pot, a jug, cups, a saucer. In a time when most works in London’s public spaces depicted grand scenes or fashionable society, Gilman’s focus on a humble domestic moment was radical and eye‑opening.
Gilman was part of the Camden Group, a circle that championed realism and the ordinary. He approached the scene with a calm, almost clinical style: simplified forms, small layered brushstrokes, and a careful build‑up of color that gives the objects a solid, three‑dimensional feel. The use of a vibrant orange head‑scarf echoes the Fauvist palette, while the patterned wallpaper recalls Matisse’s interiors. The painting also hints at Van Gogh’s influence – the solitary, matriarchal figure set against a lively backdrop.
In essence, the work captures the quiet dignity of everyday life, with Gilman’s technique turning simple domestic details into a subtle, emotionally resonant portrait.
See it in person
Mrs Mounter at the Breakfast Table 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.
