Study of Lady Orpen

Lady Grace Orpen (née Knewstub) (c.1878 - 1948) was William Orpen's wife. She was the daughter of the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Knewstub (date). Her sister Alice Mary Knewstub was married to the artist William Rothenstein (1872-1945). Orpen was a contemporary of Augustus John (1878-1961) and they studied at the Slade together. This drawing was made in the year that Orpen and Grace met. They were introduced while on holiday with John and Charles Conder (1868-1909) at Vattetot-sur-mer, France, in the summer of 1899. They were married in August 1901.