A Woman (Sarah)

William Patrick Roberts 05/06/1895 - 20/01/1980

Summary

Half-length portrait of a young woman known as Sarah. The subject has thick dark hair in a short bob; she is seated against an upholstered chair, wearing a sleevless blue dress and simple jewellery. The woman sits with her body turned to the left and her head looking over her shoulder to the right; her arms are folded across her chest and she sits against a plain background.

Display Label

A Woman (Sarah) around 1927 William Roberts 1895 - 1980 Oil on canvas Sarah was the artist’s wife. Interestingly, in old age, Sarah did not recognise this as her portrait - the strong but voluptuous representation is an unusual one for Roberts. The angularity of Sarah’s pose perhaps hints at Roberts’ past as a Vorticist painter. After the First World War he toned down the aggressive, mechanistic style of Vorticism. His experiences as soldier and Official War Artist seem to have prompted him to take a much more humane approach. Presented by Mrs and Miss Rutherston 1928.51