Mrs Jane Lindsay (1848–1932) was the mother of the artists and writers Percy, Lionel, Norman, Ruby and Daryl Lindsay. She is described by her son Daryl as having ‘a strong sense of character and an amazing fund of sheer common sense. She could cope with anything’ (Lindsay 1965, p.14).

Lambert spent three days making this drawing, creating a remarkable portrait which captures the strong but kindly personality of this eighty-three-year-old woman. He depicted her with her head tilted forward, looking thoughtfully into the distance with a gentle but determined smile. She may be wearing glasses, but her eyes are still full of life. She wears some of her treasured jewels around her neck. The juxtaposition of line and delicate soft tones give the subject a sculptural solidity.

Daryl Lindsay wrote to Lambert on 6 December 1929 expressing his gratitude, both at owning one of his drawings and in having a drawing of his mother, which gave him ‘the greatest joy to behold’ (ML MSS 97/3, pp.139–41). He appreciated that it was ‘a charming drawing’, and quite ‘unstrained’ in effect (Lambert 1930).