From the notes on the Museum of Art and Archeology Website: Kansas City-born Fred Shane was a well-known professor of art at the University of Missouri, teaching from 1932–1971. Most of Shane’s early works were portraits, with a focus on working-class people rather than the wealthy. In the portrait of Kate Robinson, the artist did not glamorize the subject, but instead invites the viewer to imagine the woman’s life based on her wizened, haggard face. We might imagine more than a fair share of hardships for this subject, but Shane emphasizes her strength and resolve, which prepare her for whatever her remaining years might bring.