The Camden Town Group in Context

This pen and ink sketch depicts a woman reading, possibly lying back on a chaise longue. Her hairstyle and clothes appear to be Edwardian. The sitter may be the artist’s wife, Zina Drummond, née Ogilvie (1887–1931), who had long, dark hair. Drummond’s fellow Camden Town Group member, Harold Gilman, painted his sister reading on a sofa in 1910 (Tate N05831).

The sketch is on page 33 of a ‘Press Sketch Book’ made by Reeves & Son Ltd, London. The sketchbook has a variety of drawings in it, including figure studies, street scenes, landscapes, performers on stage and nudes. Woman Wearing a Hat, Audience at a Cinema or Music Hall and Man Sleeping are from the same sketchbook (TGA 8915, TGA 8915 and TGA 8915). Man Sleeping is drawn in a similar style.