Sir James Jebusa Shannon

James Jebusa Shannon (1862-1923)

Oil on canvas

circa 1916

37 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. (953 x 699 mm)

© National Portrait Gallery London (NPG 4412)

Given by the sitter's daughter, Katherine Marjorie ('Kitty') Keigwin (née Shannon), 1964

This self-portrait has a touch of the impressionistic style that Shannon adopted alongside his more formal portraiture, except in the face and left hand, which are very precisely delineated — reflecting the bespectacled artist's intense concentration on his task. As befits a society portraitist, he is nattily dressed. His cuff may be pulled back, but he sports a bow-tie and has a red rose in his button-hole.

Image downloaded with permission from the gallery, and comment added by Jacqueline Banerjee. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]