William Gillies RSA
Portrait of Emma, 1921
Oil on canvas
76.2 x 63.8 cm (sight)
90 x 77 cm (frame)
90 x 77 cm (frame)
From the RSA Collection
This portrait is of Gillies’ younger sister Emma. It has been called a gentle and pretty portrait, but behind it are family secrets. Emma had suffered abuse by her father,...
This portrait is of Gillies’ younger sister Emma. It has been called a gentle and pretty portrait, but behind it are family secrets. Emma had suffered abuse by her father, and at the time he was either recently dead or dying just upstairs from where this portrait was painted. The hands and Emma’s gaze in particular draw us in.
