Mrs. Charles S. Carstairs

Sir William Orpen

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a woman seated from the waist up. She is in a three-quarter pose facing left but looking directly at us. She has light skin, rosy cheeks, and arched eyebrows. Her reddish-brown hair is short and wavy, and she wears a dark green hat. She is dressed in a light, flowing garment with folds and a brooch on the neckline. She rests her chin on her right hand, with her left arm across her body, holding her elbow. She wears a gold bracelet with a chain and blue embellishments. The background is a gray surface that looks similar to a cloudy sky.