Mary Walker Waugh1868 · Study 1984.41

Context from the museum

William Holman Hunt painted this portrait of Mary Walker Waugh (1805–1886)—his mother-in-law—during a time of personal tragedy. Waugh’s daughter Fanny Waugh Hunt (1832–1866), the wife of the artist, had recently died following childbirth. References to loss of life infiltrate the composition: the sitter wears black mourning attire, and behind her is a screen decorated with red poppies, a traditional symbol of unconsciousness and lifelessness because of its pharmaceutical use as a source for opiates. In Victorian society, the red poppy also signified consolation.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

British novelist Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966) once owned this portrait, which depicts his great aunt.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Mary Walker Waugh is 66.1 cm wide and 86.2 cm high, equivalent to approximately 26.0 × 33.9 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.77:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.57 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 22.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 117.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Mary Walker Waugh in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on fabric, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 66.1 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?