Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
No Known Copyright
Accession Number:
B1993.30.16
Gallery Label:
Although John painted this sitter, a professional artist’s model, more than fifty times, her identity remains unknown. The artist consistently depicted her seated alone in a sparse interior but styled her with different props and clothes. Here, the model holds a rosary, which Catholics use in prayer. John, who moved from London to Paris in 1904, converted to the faith in 1913 and thereafter regarded her art practice as a calling from God. Her loose brushwork, thinly applied oil paint, and muted colors are characteristic of her works from the late 1910s and early 1920s, and reflect the influence of the French modernists. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2025
