Nina and Ruby

Marianne Muggeridge's Nina and Ruby with Marianne reflected (1996) is a portrait within a portrait that raises questions about who the work is really about. Is it Nina and her daughter Ruby, resting on the bed? Is it the artist herself, poised at her easel and reflected in the mirror? With the subjects’ faces hidden in the shadows this painting becomes less about individual identities and more about the interactions taking place in the setting they occupy. Creative and domestic spaces collide in this work, as Muggeridge’s studio is also her home. Bottles of paint, the tools of the artist’s trade, stand behind her on shelves in contrast to the soft folds of linen in the foreground. Nina and Ruby’s comfortable presence tells a story about the intimate space shared by the artist and her models during the months it took to complete the study from life. We also see an artwork on the wall by the artist’s partner Roger Morris, symbolising other more familial relationships that are part of that environment. Therefore Muggeridge does more than simply replicate a scene, instead giving us a glimpse into her artistic processes and personal interactions.