In the Waiting Room 

Robert Austin’s pencil drawing ‘In the Waiting Room’ captures a quiet moment heavy with the socio-economic realities of early 20th-century Britain. The artwork depicts a woman holding a child, her head leaning against a wall in a waiting room. Beside her, a young boy sleeps, slumped forward. In the background, another figure rests on a bench. These figures, likely working-class, find themselves in a liminal space, perhaps awaiting medical attention or transportation. Austin, working in the interwar period, was deeply engaged with representing working-class life and this drawing, with its muted tones and focus on the weariness of its subjects, evokes a sense of empathy and quiet desperation. The artist draws our attention to the specific ways that societal structures impact personal experiences, subtly emphasizing the emotional toll of poverty. 'In the Waiting Room' provides a moment for reflection on the everyday lives of those often overlooked in grand historical narratives.