Josephine Muntz Adams distinguished herself as a leading portraitist of her time. While this was no doubt an artistic choice, it was also much easier to make a living from portraiture than landscapes.
When it came to making an income from art, a New Idea article in 1907 exploring career paths for young women noted that ‘in painting portraits this is possible, in painting landscapes it is impossible.’1
At the height of her career in the 1890s and early 1900s, Josephine could command up to £150 for a commissioned portrait – a considerable amount for the period, equivalent to around AU$47,000 in today’s currency.
Like many portraitists, ‘Muntz Adams reserved a freer range of expression for works she painted privately, for her own amusement, adopting a more conservative style for public commissions.’2
