Dimensions: support: 610 x 508 mm frame: 771 x 672 x 68 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Peter Greenham. All Rights Reserved 2010 / Bridgeman Art Library | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Peter Greenham's oil painting, "Jane," which is housed in the Tate. The blues and greys give it a very subdued feel. What strikes you about this portrait? Curator: The muted palette reflects a shift in British portraiture post-war, away from overt displays of wealth and status, towards a more democratic and intimate portrayal. How might the lack of a specific date affect our interpretation? Editor: I suppose it makes it harder to pinpoint the exact social context. Curator: Exactly. It invites us to consider broader social trends. Greenham, as keeper at the Royal Academy, played a role in shaping artistic taste. Does the work challenge or reinforce established norms of portraiture? Editor: I think it softens them, focusing more on the individual than their position. Curator: I agree, and it's interesting to consider how the Tate's acquisition of this piece contributes to its ongoing narrative of British art. Editor: It's fascinating how context shapes our understanding of even a seemingly simple portrait.
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This portrait of Greenham's wife, the painter Jane Dowling, was painted in 1964, in which year Greenham became Keeper of the Royal Academy Schools, a post he occupied for twenty-one years. Based on direct observation, the image in his works was built up through a sequence of fresh individual touches of paint, so that a sense of the motif is held in balance with an evident delight in the process of painting. Greenham's principal subjects were portraits, interiors with people and landscapes in Britain, France and Italy. He exemplified the persistence and vitality of a significant quieter strain in British painting which drew upon and extended traditional approaches. Gallery label, August 2004
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