Souvenir of an "International Ball" (Portrait of Miss Kathleen Bruce)
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
116.8 × 87.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession Number
1979.16
Tags
LGBTQ+ (after 1900)male
About this artwork
The subject for this portrait is Miss Kathleen Bruce, later Lady Scott, the widow of Antarctic explorer Sir Robert F. Scott. However, as the picture's original title underlines (Souvenir of an "International Ball"), the identity of the sitter is less important than her treatment as a decorous object. Highlighting the woman in front of a shadowed screen decorated with foliage, Shannon positioned her to ensure her hoop skirt billowed out and filled the large chair. The result is a "bouquet" of fab...