Portrait of Mrs. Harold Wilson

A woman seated in an armchair lightly clasps her hands on her lap and looks out calmly. Her hair is pinned up, and she wears a white blouse with a ruffled front and a ribbon at the neck, with a dark cape trimmed with fur over it. A deep blue skirt spreads widely, and the background is a pale grayish brown. A signature and date appear at the upper left. It is oil on canvas, measuring 152.5 x 96.5 cm.

According to the museum's commentary, the sitter wears a "blouse," which was then becoming established as practical clothing for women, with a purple belt and a plain skirt, and has a fur-trimmed cape draped over it. At the end of the 19th century Art Nouveau was in fashion, and a form that was cinched at the waist with a corset while keeping a natural curve is said to have been favored.

Sargent continued to paint portraits of upper-class people in America and Britain with a refined style and characterization. He was a friend of Claude Monet and understood Impressionism well, but the commentary explains that he mainly produced paintings with strong quiet and academic elements, like this one.