Somebody's Mother

In addition to being an avid pottery collector, I have a passionate interest in art and a growing collection at home on my walls. My taste is fairly ecclectic, but any visitor to my home (with lots of forewarning of their arrival - i can't stand it when people show up unannounced) would notice some clear themes: portraits of unknown ladies, religious iconography, beautiful landscapes and intense abstracts. Some of the art on my walls is my own work and others are bought, most often in junk shops or on ebay. The picture above was one of the first I purchased and is unfortunately, unnamed - for either artist or sitter. It's an oil on board, actually on the bottom of a drawer with screw holes to prove it and I would think it dates from the turn of the last century. I often wonder who she was and what he relationship of the painter might have been. In my household, she has come to be known as "Elspeth" - a name plucked from the air that seemed to resonate with her period dress and rather terse expression.