A Game of Patience

Meredith Frampton was a notable portrait painter of the inter-war years who regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy, and received many commissions. This painting, one of his most enigmatic, combines the clarity and precision of a classical composition with a sense of the mystery of appearances which could only belong to the 1930s. The side lighting defines the architectural mouldings of the background as clearly as the sitter's features and the fluted folds of her gown. The dress was specially made by the artist's mother, using linen bands at the neck left over from a previous ecclesiastical sitter. The mysterious stillness of this painting is achieved by the austere gaze of the woman, and by the careful and deliberate placing of objects on the table; the ears of corn, the apples, the exposed King of Spades - all of which add to the enigma of the never-ending game of patience. The model is Margaret Austin-Jones, who featured in an earlier full-length portrait by Frampton now owned by the Tate Gallery.