An overlooked abstract British artist, Margaret Geddes was interesting both as an artist and in her role in the encouragement of women artists. Born in Surrey in 1914, she studied at Westminster School of Art. Between 1939 and 1944 she worked as a map draughtsman for the Fire Staff Department of the Home Office, recording London's changing landscape. In 1948 she was elected Chair of the Women's International Art Club, an organisation she was committed to until its dissolution in 1976. She championed other women in the arts, such as the poet Edith Sitwell and the painter Vera Cuningham, and organised several notable exhibitions of women artists.

The 1960s were a difficult period for Geddes, she suffered a succession of illnesses, and her spirits were low. This is reflected in these melancholic paintings which reveal a turbulence expressed through the dark colour, the strong forms and the structure of the images.