Charles Haslewood Shannon (1863–1937) was a painter and lithographer, born near Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Shannon studied at Lincoln School of Art and at Lambeth School of Art, 1882, where he met his lifelong partner Charles Ricketts with whom he ran the Vale Press, 1896–1904 and founded 'The Dial' magazine, which ran from 1889–1897.

He was greatly interested in Venetian art, he tried in his own paintings to revive their techniques by the use of rich, glowing colour. As a result, his classical and figure subjects have the air of Old Masters but not always the confidence. In the centre of the picture is a young woman with light brown hair. She wears an off-the-shoulder white lace blouse with blue bows at the shoulders and a red bodice. To the right of the woman is a young man, who appears to be a suitor. The scene comes from Book one of Horace's poems.