Frederic Leighton

Mrs. James Guthrie
c. 1864-65
83 x 54 1/2 in. (210.8 x 138.4 cm)

Ellinor Guthrie (1838-1911) was the daughter of James Stirling, the first governor of Western Australia; she married the Scottish merchant banker James Alexander Guthrie in 1856. The Guthries lived in the fashionable and affluent Portland Place in London, and between 1857 and 1868 had nine children. Sittings for this portrait took place after Mrs. Guthrie had recovered from the birth of their fifth daughter in October 1864. The flowers, vases, embroidered tablecloth, ornate chair, and large Baroque painting in the background, which were probably furnishings of the artist's studio, suggest a hothouse world of beauty and culture.