Souvenir of an "International Ball" (Portrait of Miss Kathleen Bruce)

Souvenir of an "International Ball" (Portrait of Miss Kathleen Bruce) by Charles Hasslewood Shannon: The subject for this portrait is Miss Kathleen Bruce, later…

What to notice

In Souvenir of an "International Ball" (Portrait of Miss Kathleen Bruce) by Charles Hasslewood Shannon, start with portrait, nature, modern. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: Scott.

Discover

The subject for this portrait is Miss Kathleen Bruce, later Lady Scott, the widow of Antarctic explorer Sir Robert F. Scott. However, as the picture's original title underlines (Souvenir of an "International Ball"), the identity of the sitter is less important than her treatment as a decorous object.