Je suis bizarre 
Sarah LeFanu
- Gwen John: A Life by Sue Roe
The self-portrait by Gwen John hanging in the National Portrait Gallery was painted in 1899 or 1900. She is dressed in the formal costume of the period: a tight-waisted blouse with leg-of-mutton sleeves and a big black bow at the neck. Her hair is tied back and her hands are on her hips. She is slightly turned away from us, so only one hand is visible. Gwen John always emphasised the hands of her sitters. Hers is strong and competent, its paleness echoing the paleness of her face; she looks at us, calm, aloof, self-assured, with watchful, appraising eyes.
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Sarah LeFanu lives in Claverham, near Bristol. She is researching a biography of Rose Macaulay.
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