From: Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums

The sitter, Minna Wason was the wife of James Wiiliam Crombie M.P. Her husband was a first cousin of Theodore Crombie. Minna Crombie, who came from Ayrshire, was a noted philanthropist. After her only son was killed in the First World War, she took up braille and translated many books for the blind. Sargent has caught the serious gaze of the young woman and at the same time has emphasised her femininity. His later portraits, such as this one, display his apparently effortless virtuosity. The dashing brushstrokes, particularly evident in the sparkling rings and brooches and in her feather boa, seem entirely spontaneous. 

(Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums)