Portraits were among some of Wilfrid’s very earliest successes, and provided a steady source of income for the artist throughout his career. He exhibited a number of portraits at the Salons in Paris during the 1890s, including several in pastel—a medium in which he also excelled. At that early stage he frequently painted his sisters, Rachel and Lilian, and after his marriage in 1904 he often painted Jane. Through the 1920s and 1930s some of his regular models appear in portraits which were perhaps concerned less with representing them as individuals as with stimulating commissions through their public exhibition. In them he was able to experiment with the genre, trying out less conventional compositions, different lighting effects and opulent clothing. Among these models were Rhoda, Nellie, Barbara, Rai and Lynette.

This website and its contents are owned and operated by David Messum Fine Art Limited. All elements of the website and all rights therein, including but not limited to the content and general design, are protected by copyright laws. Some content displayed may also be subject to third party rights. Messums have made all reasonable efforts to ensure that works of art on this website are reproduced with the permission of the copyright holders. However, the copyright status of some works remains unclear and we would welcome any information regarding the identity of the relevant copyright holders.Copyright © 2007 David Messum Fine Art Limited. All rights reserved.