Madeline Green (1884-1947)
At the races
Oil on canvas, 24cm by 28.5cm

Provenance: Purchased from the artist who was a family friend.
Thence by descent

Madeline Green studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London from 1906 to 1911, and was an assiduous artist from the start, joining 26 other artists in setting up the Ealing Art Guild in 1910 and being awarded two RA medals in 1911. Subsequently, Green established her studio in Ealing, until the 1940s, when she moved to Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, and later to Norfolk. She won a Silver Medal at the 1923 Paris Salon and also exhibited prolifically at Agnew in Manchester, RWS, RA, SWA, Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts and elsewhere.

A distinctive aspect of Green's oeuvre is the contemplative tension within her portraiture; As through the muted tones and simple composition, the figures directly meet our gaze, yet they still maintain a mystery and ambiguity. Within both oils, we get the sense of an unshared inner monologue, indicating a life much richer than is initially being depicted on the canvas.

We know the artist often used herself and close family members as models, as can be seen in both Lot 344 and Lot 345, with the left figure being the artist and the other her sister, Gladys. Green’s close circle of sitters opens the conversation about the limitations on practice female artists experienced throughout art history.

The early 20th Century was a period of significant social change, with shifting perceptions of gender roles. Women’s fashions were developing to adapt more practical styles as seen in the war, such as short hairstyles, trousers and generally straight silhouettes. We can see that the normative gender roles were beginning to decline, triggering fear in some aspects of society and inspiring a liberation and provocation in others. Artists frequently used their work to navigate and comment on these changes. Green in particular often utilised costume and disguise as further experimental tools within these diverse identities, developing various recurring characters including a farmhand, a dancer, a newlywed and a costermonger, all of which speak to various gender roles within socio-economic groups.

In relation to the present works, we cannot be sure if Green’s use of more masculine dress on her sister comes from a place of necessity, or to primarily explore themes of identity. In the absence of any definitive evidence, perhaps Green is using the opportunities at her disposal to expand and diversify her artistic practice, reflecting the ideas she is seeing in a changing world. It is this power in ambiguity that resonates and inspires viewers, and her work remains a poignant example of how modernist art can challenge societal norms and open discussions on identity.