Mabel Oliver Rae (1868-1956)
Christ’s College Gate

27 x 19 cm
Etching
Signed and titled.

Mabel Oliver Rae was born in Cambridge and trained at the Slade School of Fine Art between 1888 and 1890. Rae is known for her skilled etchings of various rural scenes and townscapes, particularly those of the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. She signed works as ‘M. Oliver Rae’, a ruse to conceal the fact she was a female artist, so as not to reduce her chances with commercial dealers and agents.

This particular etching depicts the Great Gate at Christ’s College Cambridge in the early 20th century. People can be seen walking along the pavement and a scholar sporting academic dress is making his way into the college. A car also trundles along the road, acting as a visual marker for the period during which this work was produced.