Pen and black ink, 32 by 47 cm

Provenance: the artist’s daughter

In this interesting twist on life drawing, Mahoney doubles up on his subject, painting not only the female nude in front of him but also turning the mirror back on himself, deep in concentration as he completes his work. Mahoney, a contemporary of Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious at the Royal College of Art, was a distinguished muralist and teacher, holding positions at the Royal College of Art in the early 1950s and later at the Royal Academy Schools in the 1960s.