Gertrude Demain Hammond (1862–1952) – Portrait Of A Young Artist With A Palette, C. 1895

Attributed to Gertrude Ellen Demain Hammond
(Brixton, 1862 – Worthing, 1952)
Portrait of a young artist with a palette, probably a self-portrait

Circa 1895

Watercolor on paper
52.5 × 40 cm

Traces of a very faint signature in the lower right corner, on the palette.

Provenance:
Private collection, United Kingdom, until 2024;
Private collection, France.

This remarkable watercolor, formerly attributed to the late 19th-century English school, exhibits numerous stylistic similarities to the work of Gertrude Demain Hammond, one of the most accomplished British watercolorists of her generation. The brushwork, the delicate rendering of skin tones and fabrics, as well as the remnants of an inscription on the palette, strongly support this attribution. However, this attribution is maintained with caution pending a complete decipherment of the signature or the discovery of historical documentation.

The young woman is depicted with her brushes and palette, her gaze directed straight at the viewer. The transparency of the watercolor is particularly striking: gray-blue shadows in the white garment, subtly modeled skin tones, and hair blending deep browns with bluish hues.

Several signed and dated works by Hammond from the 1890s, notably Queen of Hearts (1897), Highlights (A Study) (1895), and The Blue Sash (1899), provide compelling comparisons. The signature marks on the palette also appear consistent with the “G. Demain Hammond” signature used by the artist.

The hypothesis that this is a self-portrait is also compelling, as several features of the model can be linked to Gertrude Demain Hammond’s known self-portrait, though this remains a suggestion at this stage.

A comprehensive and well-documented description, including references and comparative works, is available upon request.