Isabel Codrington, an accomplished artist, was married (in 1901) to Paul Konody, the influential Hungarian-born London art critic specialising in the Italian Renaissance, whose portrait is on the wall behind her in the picture, with that of their infant daughter Pauline to the right. Isabel's sister Evelyn, also an artist, was married to Byam Shaw (in 1899), and there were numerous examples of Shaw's work in the sitter's family. Isabel was also painted by de Laszlo in 1909.

"Mr Byam Shaw sends two portraits, one of Mrs Paul Konody, the red of whose lips is carried out in the coral-red which edges her white dress, in the fresher red of the bow in her dark hair, seen against a greenish wall" (London Daily News, 26 Jan 1904, p 5)