James Jebusa Shannon Painting a Portrait of the Young John Manners
Medium
graphite with touches of pen and brown ink on paper washed pale gray
Dimensions
sheet: 23.8 × 29.1 cm (9 3/8 × 11 7/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
2018.75.1
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing from 1897 captures a charming moment of artistic creation within a prominent British family. Violet Manners, Marchioness of Granby, depicts the Irish-born painter James Jebusa Shannon at work on a portrait of her young son, John Manners. As both mother and artist, Violet offers an intimate glimpse into the domestic world of late-Victorian aristocracy, where art and family life often intertwined. Executed in graphite with touches of pen and brown ink on paper washed in pale gray, the drawing showcases Violet’s refined draftsmanship. The soft gray tone lends a gentle, atmo...