Lady with spectacles

Osborne makes a precise, characterful drawing of a woman with glasses. The viewpoint is unusual, suggesting that the artist is seated on a lower seat than the subject, or that she is standing above him, looking down at him with an observant and amused expression. The drawing of the face and hair illustrate the precision and intensity of Osborne's draftsmanship, the features and hair being sensitively modelled in light and shadow. The expression of the woman's eyes behind her spectacles is conveyed well.

In contrast, the scarf or collar, and cloak of the woman are conveyed with vigorous, hatched lines, similar in technique to contemporary portrait drawings by John B. Yeats and Sarah Purser (see lots 55-57 and 30-31).

J.C.