Black crayon, 48 by 31 cm (18 ¾ by 12 ins)

Provenance: the artist’s daughter; Liss Llewellyn Fine Art

The present work is a study for the central figure in Mahoney’s painting Autumn, the subject of which is based on the garden of his home in Kent. His wife Dorothy was the sitter for the painting. Although not specifically a Festival of Britain painting, it is a near pendant to Mahoney’s contribution to the exhibition Sixty Paintings for ’51 (which was a large painting called The Garden). Both works highlight the artist’s considerable ability as a plantsman and painter of the English garden.