Portrait of Ena Wertheimer: A Vele Gonfie
- Artist: John Singer Sargent
- Date: 1904
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: unconfirmed: 1630 x 1080 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Portrait of Ena Wertheimer: A Vele Gonfie” by John Singer Sargent. Painted in 1904, the oil on canvas shows Ena, a member of a middle‑class British Jewish family, standing in a three‑quarter pose against a dark backdrop. She’s draped in the ceremonial robes of the Order of the Garter, worn by the Duke of Marlborough whom Sargent was painting at the same time. The robe’s glossy black folds billow over her left shoulder, while a broomstick peeks from under the cloak on the right—a playful prop that suggests movement and gives the portrait its lively feel.
The subtitle, “A Vele Gonfie”, is Italian for “in full sail” or “with gusto.” Sargent adopted it after Ena’s enthusiastic, almost theatrical entrance into his studio, which he translated into the portrait’s energetic gesture and confident gaze. This work is one of twelve portraits of the Wertheimer family, commissioned in 1898 and completed in 1908. It showcases the intimacy between artist and sitter, teasing the rigid authority of the ceremonial attire with a wink of casual playfulness. The painting’s large scale, expressive brushwork, and dramatic contrast between the bright cloak and the muted background make it a striking example of Sargent’s mastery and his willingness to blend portraiture with theatrical flair.
See it in person
Portrait of Ena Wertheimer: A Vele Gonfie 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.
