The First Chief Controller, Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps in France, Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, CBE, DSC 1918

Here's what I might say about William Orpen's portrait of Dame Helen. This is William Orpen's portrait of Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan, painted in oils, and I can already tell that painting this was a real process of discovery for Orpen. There’s a kind of honesty in the visible brushstrokes and the slightly muted color palette, which to me, communicates something about the sitter’s character. I love how the blues streak down the canvas behind her, like the suggestion of a landscape fading into the background. Then you've got the gloves in her hands, which are more gestural and blobby. It's like Orpen is saying: "Here's the important bit: her face, her uniform. The rest? Well, it's all just background noise." This portrait reminds me of Sargent, in the way it captures both the likeness and the essence of its subject. There's a sense of immediacy, as if we've just caught Dame Helen in a moment of quiet contemplation, inviting us to imagine the stories behind her eyes. Art is this ongoing dialogue between artists, and we all bring our own perspectives to the conversation.