Cecil Stuart Jameson was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he studied under the artists James McLachlan Nairn and Frances Hodgkins. He later immigrated to England and found success as a portraitist, joining the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 1921, the year of these drawings. Acclaimed for his pictures’ sensitivity and charm, one contemporary critique celebrated Jameson's 'expressive treatment of the face, particularly the eyes, and rejection of subsidiary objects or scene for the infusion of tone… Mr. Jameson has avoided the danger of brittle silhouettes by mellowing his outlines until they meet the background in a wistful haze.' (Leamington Spa Courier, p 6)

'An interesting personality of the art world now living in Cheltenham is Mr. Cecil Jameson, the portrait artist. Bombed out from London, where he lost a lot of his work in the blitz, he came to the West Country, and recently moved to Cheltenham where he has set up studio in Imperial-square. On one occasion one of Mr. Jameson's pictures was the No. 1 exhibit at the Royal Academy. Well - known personalities who have sat for him include the late Lord Darling and Lord Long, chairman of the Primrose League, Gordon Harker, Benita Hume, A. J. Cronin, G K. Chesterton and Canon Hannay (George Birmingham). Working full-length in oils, Mr. Jameson favours portraits of young women, and three examples of this side of his work are at present -on exhibition at Cavendish House.' (Gloucestershire Echo, 16 April 1947, p 3)

The elder sitter here bears resemblance to Lady Iliffe, whose oil portrait by Jameson is now in Basildon Park. The Hon. Kathleen Iliffe, daughter of Lady Iliffe, was born in 1904 so was 17 in 1921.