Alexander Jamieson (1873-1937) was born in Glasgow, and trained at the Haldane Academy, now part of the Glasgow School of Art. In 1898 Jamieson won a scholarship to spend a year in Paris. Here Jamieson was exposed to the work of the Impressionists, many of whom he met. The young artist adopted their techniques which he was to employ throughout his career. Jamieson preferred to paint en plein air, working wet-into-wet with bold brushstrokes. This small oil sketch depicts a statue of the Roman goddess Flora in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, France.