Here we see a frontal view of the noted playwright John Galsworthy, dressed formally and painted as observing the artist directly. John Galsworthy was a playwright most noted for his 'Forsyte Saga' and the fact that in 1932 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. In his youth Galsworthy trained as a barrister but decided instead of going into practise to take up a position managing his families trade accounts at sea. It was there that he met Joseph Conrad (author of 'Heart of Darkness) and decided to devote himself wholly to his writing.