Portrait study of Gertrude Houston Woodward

Oakley made several drawings as well as an oil sketch in preparation for a full-size portrait of her friend, Gertrude Houston Woodward. Some of the works on paper capture facial features or experiment with different poses. In the oil sketch, Oakley focuses less on likeness and more on the context of the Krisheim library, with its great books and furnishings. Woodward’s gown shimmers as if spun with gold, and an eagle is emblazoned on her chest, suggesting her authority as matriarch. It is not known if Oakley completed the final portrait.