Little is known about this painting, here exhibited for the first time. It was discarded by Bell and the reverse of the canvas was used by Grant in the later 1920s for a painting of two men on a beach. Although Bell may at first have had a posed model as her starting point, she continued the work without her. We know this from an unfinished painting by Grant (whereabouts unknown) which shows Bell (seen from behind) working on the canvas (fig.xx). This was painted in spring 1915 when both artists were working in a large studio, lent to Grant, by Professor Henry Tonks of the Slade School. This was situated close to the Chichester Estuary where they were staying in Eleanor House, the country home of St John and Mary Hutchinson (see no XX) who were friends of Tonks.
The window, with its view of horizontally banded grass, paths and a wall, and the flowers in a vase on the sill, are extremely characteristic of Bell’s work. This combination of interior and exterior is first seen in Apples, 46 Gordon Square ( no. XX) and continues throughout her career. The strikingly simplified head of the model and her helmet-like red hat contrasts with the minutely rendered pattern of the material on the figure’s lap. This may well be a partially open fan, strongly suggested in Grant’s painting of Bell at work on this canvas. [Richard Shone]