The blue ribbon

The model for this painting was a woman called Claribel Williams. Williams worked for Mary Tripe for around 13 years, both as a model and an occasional maid. At the time this work was painted, Tripe had a studio at her house in Wellington’s Selwyn Terrace. She taught painting there, mostly to young women.

Claribel Williams started modelling for Tripe in 1923, after coming to the house looking for cleaning work. She wrote in her autobiography: "She [Tripe] took me into a large sitting room and gave me a large brass tray to clean. … she called some girls to get pads, and come into the room. Then she said ‘There’s your model for this morning.’" [1]

For her work as a model Williams was paid 2 shillings and sixpence an hour – a good wage at the time. By comparison, the average hourly wage for New Zealand women in 1923 was around 11 pence an hour. [2]

Mary Tripe was best known for her work as a portraitist. Alongside portraits of eminent New Zealanders, she painted a number of works like this one – paintings of elegant, chic women, with romantic or moody titles. The blue ribbon is a beautiful study of colour and light, particularly in the play of light across the folds of the model’s blue and gold shawl.

[1] Claribel Williams, The Years Between (Wellington, 1984), np. A copy of this self-published autobiography is held at the National Library.