Exhibited 1911. McEvoy presents a moment of quiet and intense self-scrutiny. Lost in contemplation of her image, the model’s assessment of her ear ring also suggests a narcissistic appraisal of her own beauty. McEvoy heightens the mood of intimacy by contrasting deep shadows behind the figure with a stronger light falling on the mirror’s reflection, thus heightening attention on the woman’s face. A pupil of artist James Abott McNeill Whistler, McEvoy also painted scenes which replaced narrative with atmosphere and suggestion. Gallery label, May 2007 [http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/mcevoy-the-ear-ring-n03176]