This portrait shows the artist’s second wife Alice, and was made in the early days of the couple’s marriage. Alice Cowie was a clever, ambitious and sociable woman whose outgoing character marked a stark contrast to that of her rather introverted husband. The use of bright colours and hard lines perfectly complement the sitter’s striking looks and rather aloof expression, suggesting the strength of her personality. Her clothes and hairstyle are typical of the 1920s style. The precise linearity of the painting is characteristic of Cowie’s strictly realist style, yet it also contains more painterly elements, such as Alice’s outfit and yellow glove.