Marian Collier 1882 - 1883

John Collier painted this oil-on-canvas portrait of Marian Collier in England near the turn of the 20th century. Collier was a prominent portrait painter from an intellectual family, and he moved in circles that debated new ideas about society and culture. This portrait is typical of its time in its quiet naturalism and focus on the individual. It's a good example of late Victorian portraiture. However, we might also see it as an example of the way the art world was beginning to open up to women at this time. Although Marian was the artist's wife, it's important to remember that as an artist, John Collier was reliant on systems of patronage and display that went back centuries. Only by understanding those systems can we properly appreciate his art. We can use historical resources like exhibition catalogs and society papers to better understand the role of this painting, and others like it, in the cultural life of its time.