Anthony Devas was a British painter best known for his accomplished portraits and figure studies. Born in Bromley, Kent, he studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, where he was associated with artists linked to the Euston Road School and developed a lifelong commitment to representational painting. Devas established a successful career as a portraitist, exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy and holding solo exhibitions at leading London galleries. He was elected a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 1945 and an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1953. His work is represented in major public collections, including Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Imperial War Museum.

This painting presents a standing female nude in three-quarter length, rendered with characteristic sensitivity and restraint. The figure is set against a softly modulated background, where warm, earthy tones shape the body and soften the surrounding space. Devas ‘handling of paint is gentle yet assured, modelling the figure through subtle shifts of light and colour rather than sharp delineation. The background is articulated through loosely patterned passages that remain deliberately indeterminate, keeping the viewer’s attention on the painted surface rather than creating a fully illusionistic setting.