Edmonton artist reflects on her Time magazine cover portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

A portrait of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Edmonton artist Shana Wilson has been shared many times since the judge died last week.

The portrait appeared on the cover of Time magazine in March.

Wilson said it was a cold day in January when she received an email from the director of the weekly publication. He asked if the magazine could commission her to paint a portrait for its “100 Women of the Year” special edition issue.

“I read it, and I was incredulous,” Wilson said.

“He said, ‘We just discovered your work online [and] we love what you stand for. You are empowering women on canvas. We have a very special edition of Time magazine, and we would like you to paint the cover.’

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "He said, 'We just discovered your work online [and] we love what you stand for. You are empowering women on canvas. We have a very special edition of <em>Time</em> magazine, and we would like you to paint the cover.'

“It wasn’t until the next day I found out I would be painting Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”

Wilson had three weeks to paint the portrait. She painted for 12 hours every day to meet the deadline.

The issue was so popular, Time released a second issue on the topic in September. This time it had a write up about Wilson and the portrait.

“Without Ruth, who in the 1970s had a crusade that she never gave up on, to have a law passed to say, ‘You cannot discriminate in the workplace on the basis of gender,’ I wouldn’t be painting the front cover of Time magazine, I would be serving coffee to the men painting the front cover of Time magazine,” Wilson said.

“It’s just the most humbling thing, to have a really tiny part of a legacy, of an icon.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's just the most humbling thing, to have a really tiny part of a legacy, of an icon."

1:43 Iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg TIME cover painted by Edmonton artist

Wilson said her favourite part about the portrait is Ginsburg’s eyes.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“To me, there is a little bit of vulnerability there,” she said. “There is a very quiet strength.

In terms of her appearance, Ginsburg is known for her clean and tight bun. In Wilson’s painting, there are wisps of hair. That’s because Wilson thought about Ginsburg after a long day at work, and how her hair wouldn’t look as neat as at the beginning of the day.

Wilson also decided not to paint Ginsburg in her judicial robes.

“I think it’s really important when we see women rise to the top of their profession, that we acknowledge there is so much more to them,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think it's really important when we see women rise to the top of their profession, that we acknowledge there is so much more to them," she said.

“Ruth is more than just a Supreme Court justice. That is the extraordinary thing that she is, but she is also a woman, a daughter, a mother, a wife, a grandmother and a friend.”

Ginsburg passed away on Sept. 18. Wilson said Ginsburg was able to see her portrait before she died, and she was delighted.

While Wilson never met or spoke to Ginsburg, she said she will forever hold onto this journey, and remember getting to know Ginsburg through every brush stroke.

“This painting is forever a piece of my soul,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This painting is forever a piece of my soul," she said.

The portrait will be on display at Edmonton’s Peter Robertson Art Gallery for at least two weeks. It will also be facing the window in order to give all Edmontonians a chance to see it in person.

Wilson said she would like to see the portrait ultimately end up at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery or the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Watch below: Some Global News videos about the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

2:43 Ruth Bader Ginsburg becomes 1st woman to lie in state at U.S. Capitol

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg becomes 1st woman to lie in state at U.S. Capitol
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Vice President Mike Pence pays respects to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s work ‘moved our nation closer to equal justice under law’: Justice Roberts
• Chuck Schumer calls Ruth Bader Ginsburg a ‘rebellious force’
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg was ‘a brilliant legal mind,’ says Mitch McConnell
• Nancy Pelosi leaves flowers at memorial for Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Death of U.S. Justice Ruth Ginsburg sparks political battle
• Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dead at 87

Previous Video

Next Video