Ignace-Henri-Théodore Fantin-Latour, 'Mr and Mrs Edwin Edwards', 1875

Henri Fantin-Latour went to London for the first time in 1861. He was invited to stay by Edwin Edwards, a lawyer turned painter and etcher, and his wife, Elizabeth Ruth Escombe, in their imposing villa in Sunbury. He visited again in 1864 and painted the first of his delicate still-life flower portraits, among them Roses (Tate, London). The Edwards promoted them among their wide circle of cultured friends, giving Fantin-Latour security and recognition for the first time.

In the early 1870s, Edwin became Fantin-Latour’s official agent. He commissioned this portrait. Fantin-Latour’s first idea was to show the couple as an artist with his muse. Edwin would be seen hard at work on an etching, with Ruth hovering nearby ‘like a guardian angel’. But Edwin’s artistic career was failing. He and Fantin-Latour were no longer as close as they had been. Ruth took over the business dealings for the trio with great expertise. She was no longer just a guardian angel. Fantin-Latour changed the direction of the composition as he worked.

Ruth stands beside her husband. Although she does not look at him, she appears to be all too aware of him. She is pale. Under lowered lids, her large brown eyes look towards us, but the gaze seems cool, withdrawn. A firm chin and high cheekbones give her a commanding air. Her mouth is compressed. She wraps her arms around herself, perhaps holding herself in check. Her black gown and severe hairstyle are relieved by the tactile puffed sleeves, pleated bodice and fine lace frills at her neck and wrists, all bearing witness to her wealth and excellent taste.

In contrast, Edwin seems oblivious of his wife, or at least takes her presence for granted. He sits immersed in looking at a print he has taken from the folding stand beside him. He appears to be pleased with what he sees. The long, unkempt beard hides his mouth, but the hand resting on the stand is relaxed, and tiny wrinkles around his eyes and slightly puffed cheeks suggest a quiet smile behind his glasses. The only things that link the couple physically are the diagonal lines made by the print and the peplum hem at the base of her bodice.

The warm light that infuses the image is negated by the plain wall, with no furniture or decoration to suggest their prosperous home. But this is Fantin-Latour’s preferred background, in tune with the Aesthetic Movement’s desire to let objects and figures speak for themselves.

The portrait received a second-class medal at the 1875 Paris Salon. This confirmed Fantin-Latour’s status in the art world. One critic commented on ‘Mrs Edwards’s stiffness’ and put it down to ‘Englishness’. But the others were united in their praise of the painting’s simplicity and psychological penetration.

Fantin-Latour inscribed the portrait to Edwin. Ruth tried to persuade the artist to return to England to take on portrait commissions, but he refused. While working on the painting, he had written that portraiture ‘always remains the most difficult thing to do’. Yet his portraits are outstanding, insightful and masterful, as his Self Portrait (Tate, London) affirms.