Alice Meynell (née Thompson)
- Artist: Emil Otto ('E.O.') Hoppé
- Date: 1914
- Medium: gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 5 3/4 in. x 3 3/4 in. (145 mm x 96 mm)
- Portrays: Alice Meynell (née Thompson)
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
Front of the gallery stands a gelatin‑silver portrait of Alice Meynell (née Thompson). The small frame measures just 145 mm by 96 mm, but its details shine—soft light on her cheekbones and a subtle smile that hints at the writer’s wit. Hoppé captured her likeness in 1914, when he was already renowned for his photographic portraiture of literary figures. Meynell lived from 1847 to 1922 and wrote poems, essays, and journalistic pieces. The print shows the artist’s careful use of silver gelatin to give depth and permanence.
See it in person
Alice Meynell (née Thompson) is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
