Ernestine Mills (1871-1959)

“Possible Worlds” c1928

Enamel on Copper, 20.5 x 14cm (8 x 5.5”)

This large enamel shares a title with a book of essays of 1927 and likely coincides with the Equal Franchise Act of 1928, a culminating event in the life of Ernestine Mills. She was a student of Alexander Fisher and prominent suffragette, designing the iconic "votes for women" badge in 1907.

It is a labour-intensive, unforgiving medium, which combined with the loss of her London studio in the 2nd World War, accounts for her relatively small artistic output. A comparable enamel, dated 1929, can be seen in the Delaware Museum of Art.