This remarkable 1887 oil on canvas portrait by Anglo-Spanish artist Alfred Mendoza presents a bold image of Victorian womanhood. The painting depicts a young woman—believed to be the artist's sister Elizabeth—smoking a cigarette with quiet confidence, a striking and progressive subject for the era.
Alfred Mendoza (active 1880s-1920s) was a painter and sculptor of Spanish-Sephardic Jewish descent, born in Spitalfields, London. He exhibited at the prestigious Royal Academy in 1887 and created notable portraits including one of King George V in 1917. His career spanned London, France, South America, and Bournemouth.
Artist: Alfred Mendoza (1860-1925)
Signed: Lower left, dated 1887
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Very good condition
Dimensions: 51 x 41 cm / 20 x 16 in
Frame: 71 x 61 cm / 28 x 24 in, very good condition
Provenance: Ottawa, Canada