Lewis' portrait shows Edith Sitwell seated with half-closed eyes and with bookshelves in the background. Sitwell, who came from the aristocratic
Sitwell family, was part of a cultural elite, Lewis began to work on the commissioned portrait of Sitwell in 1923. He was at the time close to the wealthy Sitwells and hoped to develop a long-term relationship where they would support him financially. According to Edith Sitwell, she modelled for six days a week during a period of ten months, but Lewis' "manner became so threatening" that she stopped, which is why the portrait has no hands. ==References==