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Gertrude Kingston 1862–1937
A woman of extraordinary versatility, Gertrude Kingston followed in Sargent's footsteps by studying painting in Paris. In the early 1880s, she illustrated several children's books before embarking on an acting career to support herself and her husband. Kingston's success in both classic and contemporary dramas led George Bernard Shaw to write the title role of his play Great Catherine (1913) for her. In 1910, Kingston designed, built, and managed the Little Theatre in London, which used modern lighting technology. She displayed this striking portrait of herself in the lobby.
Deeply interested in politics, Kingston published articles on current issues and campaigned for women's suffrage. During World War I, she co-founded the Women's Emergency Corps to provide humanitarian aid to continental Europe and spent several years lecturing in the United States on the British war effort. In 1924, she contemplated standing for Parliament but returned to art instead, developing a new lacquerware technique.
Charcoal on paper, c. 1909
By permission of the Provost and Fellows of King's College, Cambridge, UK
This is the National Portrait Gallery sign in the exhibit. |