Augustus Edwin John, O.M., R.A. (1878-1961)

Stylistically this striking full-length nude surely dates from circa 1907, when John was at the height of his ability as a draughtsman. In his economy of line there is an urgency and confidence which recalls Ingres, and his remarkable early technical ability shines through in his mastery of the female form. John, although later than the Pre-Raphaelites who make up most of this collection, shared not only their obsession with female beauty, but also their lyrical interpretation of its form through numerous studies and sketches of both heads and nudes.

There is something in the disposition of the sitters features, and the long, elegant nose which is reminiscent of Alexandra 'Alick' Schepeler, one of John's most striking and well known models, with whom he had a long-running affair, and obsessed over artistically from 1906-7. She was prone to fits of melancholy and depression, hinted at here in her downward gaze and self-absorption. She was renowned for her mystery, making her a particularly fascinating subject for John.