Knighton-Hammond captured the thoughtful gaze of the sitter. He was renowned for his ability to capture the inner mood and personality of his sitters, who he painted from life. Here, with the light source coming from the spectator’s right, the artist uses light to convey the volume of the head with tonal modelling. The texture of the oil paint adds to the complexion.

Knighton-Hammond’s portraits have individuality and the plain, dark background of this work projects the sitter into the space of the spectator.