Gwen John (1876-1939) was born in Pembroke in Wales but following her three years of study at the Slade School between the years of 1895 to 1898 she spent most of her career in Paris. In 1910 she moved to the suburb of Meudon where the sculptor, and her former lover, Auguste Rodin lived.

A nearby orphanage provided her with subjects to draw and paint. She could be found sitting at the back of the church observing and drawing the children arriving with the nuns in their pinafores and hats. Her use of fine and minimal line in this sketch reveals her interest in Japanese prints. John's almost transparent application of colour creates depth within the work and expresses an eagerness to record her observations. There is another version of this work is in Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.