Cathleen Sabine Mann ROI RP SWA 

(Newcastle 1896-1959 London) 

Reclining Nude, 1938

oil on canvas

signed and dated lower right 'Cathleen Mann 1938'

45.4 x 61 cm.

Cathleen Mann was the daughter of the Scottish portrait painter Harrington Mann, and while she first studied painting under her father, she later spent time in the studio of Dame Ethel Walker, with whom she remained close even while a pupil at the Slade. The influence of Walker can be seen here in the cool palette and the assured femininity of the nude, and the somewhat sketchy handling of the paint surface. The presence of another, male artist, in the upper right corner, painting the nude from behind, or perhaps even painting Cathleen Mann at her easel, gives the picture a somewhat meta narrative.